Radio Prague International - Topic «Politics»

Recent security incidents in Germany are prompting a response in Czechia. The foreign minister has rejected the Russian ambassador’s characterisation of a drone attack at Leipzig airport, while Czechia has responded to events in neighbouring Germany with increased vigilance.

One of Czechia’s best-known religious symbols is heading to Ireland. A specially dressed copy of the Infant Jesus of Prague is being given to the Diocese of Kerry to mark Ireland’s presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Polish and Czech officials have been highlighting the countries’ positive relations in response to a disinformation campaign claiming Poland wanted to seize Czech territory. Media reports say security officials in both states suspect Russia of being behind the campaign.

As the country counts the costs of prolonged drought, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) has announced the revival of the National Anti-Drought Coalition, which had been dormant for several years. He is promising fast, targeted action, but questions remain over the actual road map and funding.

The Czech foreign minister says the detention of a Czech citizen in China is unconnected to the case of a Chinese man being held in Prague on spying charges. But opposition voices say that if Beijing does aim to stage a prisoner swap, any Czech visiting China could become a hostage.

The present Czech government is seeking to tighten the country's migration laws, including conditions for Ukrainians under temporary protection. The proposals are still making their way through parliament, where the governing coalition has a comfortable majority. Czech Radio analyst Viktor Daněk says the political rhetoric and the reality of the new rules are often two very different things.

The Czech government plans to redirect existing funding towards NATO's PURL (Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List) initiative, which finances US-made weapons for Ukraine. According to security analyst and former senior military officer František Mičánek, the move strengthens Czech credibility within the Alliance while reflecting a broader shift in Europe's security environment.

The row over who should represent the Czech Republic at the NATO summit in Ankara is over. Both the prime minister and president are attending the high-profile event. Attention has now turned to what is expected to be the main issue facing the Czech delegation - explaining why the country has failed to meet NATO's defense spending target.

Lieutenant General Miroslav Hlaváč has officially become the new Chief of the General Staff of the Czech Armed Forces. Defence reporter Kateřina Gruntová of Seznam Zprávy says his appointment promises continuity in military priorities while opening a new chapter in relations between the army and the country's political leadership.

Diplomats' spouses, ambassadors, charity representatives, and government officials gathered at Prague's historic Czernin Palace on 12 June, as the Diplomatic Spouses Association (DSA) awarded more than CZK 1.3 million to 16 Czech charities.

The Czech government on Monday made good on its promise to abolish license fees for public-service media and fund them directly from the state budget. The approved draft law, which will now go to the lower house, has raised a storm of controversy with opposition parties saying they will fight it every step of the way.

A new Globsec report published this week places Czechia among “mid-tier” countries on NATO’s eastern flank. Analyst Martin Sklenář says the country has solid foundations but slower political decision-making. At the same time, its defence industry remains a key pillar of European deterrence.

In Czechia, there is increasing debate about a proposed law from the Ministry of Culture that would abolish licence fees and change the funding of Czech public service media. As a result, they would be financed from the state budget instead. However, voices not only from the opposition and the leadership of Czech Radio and Czech Television themselves are raising concerns, viewing such a change as a threat to the stability and independence of Czech media.

Péter Magyar’s resounding victory in Hungary’s general elections –and the pending change-of-guard after Orbán’s 16 years in office - poses many questions. Is this a political reset –or just a new face? Who is Péter Magyar and what can Europe expect from Hungary’s incoming prime minister? Those are some of the questions I put to Viktor Daněk, deputy director of the Europeum Institute.

The NATO summit in Ankara has laid bare the growing political divide between the Czech president and the Babiš government. The president insists that he has the right to represent the country at the summit; the ruling coalition has made it clear he should stay at home.

The Czech Finance Ministry has started publishing daily maximum fuel prices as part of efforts to curb rising costs driven by global tensions. The move also includes limits on distributor margins and tax cuts on diesel. Jan Bureš, chief economist at ČSOB Bank says the impact may be limited and warns of possible unintended consequences.

As of this week, children in the Czech Republic have a new advocate: the country’s first officially appointed Children’s Ombudsman. The role is meant to strengthen the protection of children’s rights and give young people a stronger voice.

The Czech and Slovak governments met again on Tuesday after a three-year pause, signalling a renewed phase in bilateral relations. Political scientist Petr Kaniok says cooperation between the two countries remains strong in practical terms. However, he warns that the political dimension of the renewed ties sends a broader signal within the European Union.

Tensions between Czech politicians and the media have once again come to the fore. A joint statement signed by more than 20 prominent editors criticizes the approach of Andrej Babiš toward journalists. The rare joint statement highlights growing tensions between politics and the press. Reporter magazine editor-in-chief Michal Musil explains why he helped initiate it.

The sale of kratom in the Czech Republic has been subject to stricter regulations for four months now. Although it can currently only be sold by licensed shops, it was previously available, for example, in shopping centers. Despite the new rules, however, the substance remains widespread among young people in primary and secondary schools. One solution that municipal authorities are beginning to adopt is banning the consumption of kratom in public spaces.

The Czech government MPs are moving to change how public service media are funded. Their new proposal would exempt some groups from paying licence fees and could lead to their eventual abolition. Critics warn the shift could weaken both funding stability and editorial independence.

A fire at an arms-related company in Pardubice, now being investigated as a possible terrorist attack, has put the spotlight on the security of Czech defence firms. Prime Minister Andrej Babiš is calling on companies to step up protection of their facilities. But industry representatives warn that the issue is more complex and cannot be solved by companies alone.

On Thursday, Minister of Culture Oto Klempíř (Motorists party) dismissed the Director General of the National Gallery Prague, Alicja Knast. Her term was originally set to end at the end of this year. Although the dismissal complied with the law, experts agree it should have been handled differently.

Czech petrol stations are now required to report fuel prices and margins to the government in a move aimed at preventing excessive price increases. The measure comes amid volatility in global oil markets linked to tensions in the Persian Gulf. Economist and former Czech representative at World Bank Jana Matesová says the monitoring could help keep sellers from raising prices too sharply.

Deputy Prime Minister and Industry Minister Karel Havlíček is continuing his week-long visit to the United States, accompanied by dozens of Czech companies and innovation centres. A key stop is Texas, where the delegation is promoting Czech technologies and business cooperation. The trip includes meetings with state officials, investors and participation in the South by Southwest innovation festival in Austin.

UK journalist, author and broadcaster Misha Glenny has deep ties to this part of the world, having spent time in Prague in the 1980s and covered revolutions here and elsewhere in the then Eastern Bloc. On a recent visit to the Czech capital, Glenny discussed the impact of populism on the region – and pressure on Czech and other public broadcasters.

Czech President Petr Pavel has repeatedly denied that he is the de facto leader of the opposition, including in a major interview at the weekend. But if we accept the head of state’s words, who is actually PM Andrej Babiš’s main political opponent right now? I asked political scientist Petr Just why Mr. Pavel felt the need to make this denial.

Marking three years in office in an interview for Czech Television, President Petr Pavel rejected claims that he acts as an “opposition president.” But beyond tensions in domestic politics he focused largely on international issues. Vít Pohanka spoke with Pavel Havlíček, an analyst from the Association for International Affairs and asked him, what he found interesting or surprising in the interview.

Czech MPs voted on Thursday not to turn the heads of two parties in the coalition governing, Andrej Babiš and Tomio Okamura, over for criminal prosecution in unrelated cases. But now that he has immunity, will Prime Minister Babiš of ANO change his approach to the two smaller partners, Mr. Okamura’s Freedom and Direct Democracy and the Motorists? I discussed the situation with political scientist Jiří Pehe.

President Petr Pavel made his first address to the current lower house of the Czech Parliament on Tuesday. In a 10-minute speech, the head of state called on MPs to seek consensus where possible – and made a pointed call for an increase in defence spending.

The first repatriation flight from the Middle East brought back close to 200 Czech nationals late on Monday night. For hundreds of others waiting to be picked up, conditions on the ground and in the air are changing by the hour.

The military operation against the Khamenei regime has halted flights from many popular tourist destinations in the Middle East, leaving thousands of travelers stranded. The Czech government is sending out repatriation flights to destinations where airports are now operating.

During his visit to the United States, Czech Foreign Minister Petr Macinka addressed both the UN Security Council and a special session of the UN General Assembly, directly challenging Russia over its war in Ukraine.  “Please, Honourable Representatives of Russia, tell your President Putin to stop this war,” he said at one of Tuesday’s meeting, marking four years since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Four years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, humanitarian aid from the Czech Republic continues. Among the organisations involved is Caritas Czech Republic – one of the country’s largest non-profits and a member of Caritas Europa and Caritas Internationalis.  The Catholic charity  supports refugees within the Czech Republic and delivers assistance directly in Ukraine. Evžen Diviš, Regional Manager for Development and Humanitarian Programmes in Ukraine, outlines what the organisation is focusing on today.

As the international community marks four years since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, in the Czech Republic, the anniversary has laid bare growing rifts between the president, the government and the opposition over further support for Kyiv.

Czechia has a complete government. Czech President Petr Pavel has officially appointed Igor Červený of the Motorists’ party as the country’s new Minister of the Environment after nearly two months of uncertainty.

Czech Foreign Minister Petr Macinka is travelling to Washington to attend the inaugural meeting of U.S. President Donald Trump’s newly established Peace Council. Prague has been invited to join the initiative, but for now is participating only as an observer while it monitors the positions of its EU and NATO partners.

The halt of Russian oil via the Druzhba pipeline due to extensive Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure has caused serious problems for Hungary and Slovakia, which are still dependent on Russian oil. Amid rising tensions, Prague has offered Bratislava “a limited volume of oil supplies” to help the neighbor state in the event of a crisis.

The government on Monday extended the validity of a regulation allowing Ukrainian refugees to apply for special long-term residence status. Thousands of people are expected to apply.

At this year’s Munich Security Conference, global attention focused on U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky. Yet Czech leaders also played a visible role in key debates on populism, defence spending and divisions within the West.

The annual gathering of world leaders in Bavaria comes at a moment of growing geopolitical tension and shifting alliances. European leaders are increasingly debating defence autonomy and technological competitiveness. Czech representatives will join discussions expected to shape security policy in the years ahead.

Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) has announced that his government is seriously considering banning social media for children under the age of 15, following the example of France. While flash polls suggest that most parents would approve, many experts are dubious regarding the wisdom of an outright ban.

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš on Wednesday held talks with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at Chigi Palace in Rome. The Czech head of government, who is seeking allies in Europe on issues such as migration and the Green Deal, later spoke of Ms. Meloni as “the most promising leader in Europe”.

The hugely popular governor of South Bohemia has established a new political movement called Our Czechia (Naše Česko). He says its aim is to rise above the traditional political clash between conservative and liberal ideas and look for ways to move the Czech Republic forward.

On Sunday, tens of thousands of people gathered on Prague’s main squares to support President Petr Pavel amid his dispute with Foreign Minister Petr Macinka (Motorists’ Party) over his refusal to appoint Filip Turek environment minister. The dispute intensified last week after the presidential office released messages sent by Macinka threatening the president with “consequences” for opposing the nomination.

Growing tensions between the Czech president and foreign minister erupted into a massive row on Tuesday, when President Pavel accused Minister Macinka of political blackmail, while the latter said the head of state was violating the constitutional order. The prime minister has called for calm.

The coalition government of Prime Minister Andrej Babiš on Monday approved the state budget for 2026. Due to time pressure, the draft is a revised version of a proposal put forward by the previous administration, with a 24 billion crown higher deficit, increased funding for transport infrastructure and social needs, but less money for military spending.

President Petr Pavel is hosting Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, Foreign Minister Petr Macinka, Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Tomio Okamura, and Senate President Miloš Vystrčil for talks on Czech foreign and security policy, as international partners watch for signs of continuity or change.

The Czech police has detained a man suspected of working for a Chinese intelligence service and charged him with “unauthorised activity on behalf of a foreign power.” He is the first person to be prosecuted for this offence, which was introduced into Czech law by the previous government.

The Czech Foreign Minister Petr Macinka met his Hungarian counterpart Péter Szijjártó in Prague for talks focused on energy, migration and regional cooperation. Both ministers highlighted what they described as long-standing political alignment between their governments. The meeting also touched on the war in Ukraine, the situation around Greenland, and differing views within the European Union.