Laden...
The Czech Chamber of Deputies on Friday approved a controversial pension reform, which, according to the government, will contribute to the sustainability and the reduction of the pension system's deficit.
The reform envisages a gradual increase in retirement age and adjustments to new pension calculations aimed at stabilizing the pension system’s finances.
The amendment passed with 103 votes out of 188 MPs present, supported by lawmakers from the ruling coalition, and one independent MP. The Pirate Party members left the chamber in protest over the restrictions on early retirement for workers in demanding professions.
The opposition parties ANO and Freedom and Direct Democracy representatives have pledged to abolish the pension changes if they return to power. The debate over the reform lasted a total of approximately 15.5 hours.
The three-day Prague Defence Summit, organized by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), gets underway in Prague on Friday. The conference will focus on defence capacity development in Europe and strengthening cooperation between governments and the defence industry.
President Petr Pavel will deliver the opening speech this evening at the National Museum. The summit will start with a presentation by IISS representatives at the Prague Marriott Hotel, unveiling a new report on defence building in Europe, followed by debates and discussions throughout the day.
Among the speakers are the Defence Ministers of Estonia and Lithuania, as well as NATO Military Committee Chairman General Rob Bauer. Plenary sessions will continue on Saturday and Sunday.
The government estimates total damage from the September floods at CZK 45 to 50 billion, with more than half affecting state property, Finance Minister Zbyněk Stanjura announced on Friday.
In response, the government has raised this year’s budget deficit by CZK 30 billion and next year’s planned deficit by CZK 10 billion. Stanjura stated that the adjustments are considered reasonable given the circumstances.
The government has until December 5 to submit the total damage assessment to the European Commission, enabling Czechia to access funds for reconstruction from the European Solidarity Fund. It is already clear that damages will surpass the CZK 40 million threshold needed for European Solidarity Fund assistance.
Unemployment in Czechia fell to 3.8 percent in October, compared to 3.9 percent in September, according to data released by the Czech Labour Office on Friday.
There were roughly 289, 000 unemployed people at the end of October, some 1,900 fewer than in the previous month. Vacancies, on the other hand, increased by over 1,300 to nearly 266,000.
The highest unemployment rate last month was in the Ústí nad Labem Region, at 6.1 percent, while the lowest unemployment rate was recorded in the Prague region, where it stood at 2.8 percent. Analysts put the drop in unemployment down to seasonal reasons.
Coal production in Czechia continues to decline, with output having fallen by 20% by the end of August compared to the same period in 2023. A total of 15.3 million tonnes of lignite and hard coal were mined, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Production has traditionally been driven mainly by lignite mining, which accounted for 95% of the mineral extracted.
The ČSM mine in the Karviná region, the last active coal mine in the country, continues to operate despite an initial closure plan for mid-2023. State-owned OKD now plans to extend operations until about mid-2026.
Czech tennis player Barbora Krejčíková has advanced to the semi-finals at of the WTA Finals in Riyadh after defeating Coco Gauff 7-5, 6-4. The Czech Wimbledon champion secured her place as the Orange Group winner at the expense of World No 2 Iga Swiatek, who need her to lose in order to progress from the group stage. The Czech will face China's top-ranked player Zheng Qinwen in the semifinals.
Viktoria Plzeň secured a 2-1 victory over Spain’s Real Sociedad in a Europa League match on Thursday evening with a last-minute goal, earning their first win after three consecutive draws. The West Bohemian club moved up four spots to 16th in the standings.
Meanwhile, Slavia Prague faced another setback, losing 1-0 to Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany, mirroring their defeat two weeks ago in Bilbao. The loss dropped the Czech-league leaders to 23rd place in the Europa table.
Saturday is expected to be mostly sunny with day temperatures ranging between 8 and 12 degrees Celsius.
November 8th is the anniversary of the Battle of White Mountain (Bitva na Bílé hoře), fought in 1620 just outside Prague, which brought disaster for the ruling Czech aristocracy and drastically altered the face of the Czech lands.
With President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House, many are expecting substantial changes in US foreign policy. The bilateral relationship between the US and Czechia could also see adjustments. Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský discussed some of these possible changes with Czech Radio.
November 11th is Armistice Day, the international commemoration of the end of the First World War, which offers us today an opportunity to remember and honour those who have given their lives in combat. In the United Kingdom, the day is accompanied by Remembrance Sunday, and its distinctly British acts of remembrance will be taking place in Prague too. Danny Bate spoke to Colonel Jonathan Kitson, defence attaché at the British Embassy, about the nature of his position, and his role in November’s events of military commemoration.
Professor Milena Králíčková, the first woman to hold the position of rector in Charles University’s centuries-long history, recently returned from a working visit to the United States aimed at strengthening existing academic partnerships and exploring new collaborations. I met with Mrs. Králíčková at the Carolinum, the historic seat of Charles University, to discuss the US mission, but we also discussed the significance of being the first female rector, her goals for advancing equality and academic excellence, and how the university has dealt with the tragic shooting at the Faculty of Arts last December.
This year’s Czech Architecture Award went to the new Concert Hall in Karlovy Vary, set within the renovated Imperial Spa complex.
About 1.5 million Americans identify with their Czech roots. The US Presidential election divided them as much as the rest of the country.
This e-mail is sent to you automatically according to the settings you chose. To change the settings, click here.
© 2024, Radio Prague International - the external service of Czech Radio, all rights reserved.
https://english.radio.cz, e-mail: [email protected], Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Instagram
Laden...
Laden...
