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No topic has been more heated in the Czech parliament of late than mandatory health fees – defended, to varying degrees by the government, but reviled by the opposition. In some ways, the issue has brought out the worst in politicians. On Wednesday, the parliament floor witnessed the shadow health minister David Rath and the finance minister Miroslav Kalousek trade insults: the former in words, the latter, using “the finger”. The antipathy between the two was lost on no one.

Czech betting firms are finally being allowed to get their hands on a slice of the huge on-line gambling pie. After years of lobbying, and promises to prevent minors from betting on their sites, the country’s five biggest bookies are set to receive Finance Ministry permits to introduce online gambling. One of those firms is Fortuna – its Tomáš Bahník explains why the decision was so important for them.

Just two weeks before the Czech Republic takes over the rotating presidency of the EU from France, the French president has taken a swipe at the Czechs. Nicolas Sarkozy says it is insulting that some Czech public buildings are refusing to fly the EU flag – an apparent reference to Prague Castle, home to the fiercely Euro-sceptic Czech president, Václav Klaus.

On Tuesday, Czech officials announced the results of a nationwide tender on the design of the Czech pavilion for Expo 2010 in Shanghai. The winning entry was put forward by Film Dekor – a film specialising in interiors, model manufacturing, and set design. What will the pavilion look like? Find out here.

Residents in Prague’s north-eastern Žižkov area have been up in arms over reports that the long-planned D Metro line, will not after all be extended to the area. A Metro line can undoubtedly be good for local economies, bringing much-sought infrastructure to the harder-to-reach areas of Prague. But the plans have changed – so what exactly is going on?

The Czech economy is slowing down, though at present it has managed to stave off a recession. With the EU recently agreeing on a stimulus package, while many individual countries do the same, the question is being asked – what, if anything, can the Czech Republic do to boost its economy? I spoke with economist Pavel Mertlík and began by asking him if there was any sort of political consensus about what to do:

One of the things Czechs want to focus on during the country’s upcoming EU presidency is deepening Europes relations with Israel. The Czechs are even hoping that a first-ever summit between the EU and Israel could be held at some point during the first six months of 2009. On Monday, the Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmad Aboul Gheit came to Prague for talks with Czech President Václav Klaus, Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg and other officials. His mission was to make sure that the voice of the Arab world is also heard, and that the Czech presidency

With only a couple of weeks remaining before the end of the 2008, anticipation is growing over the Czech Republic’s upcoming EU presidency: for six months the country will garner unprecedented attention and it is an unrivalled opportunity to present some of the most important facets of Czech arts and culture. In fact, the country’s Czech centres and other institutions have organised some 700 different events worldwide.

A two-day summit of the European Union in Brussels, which concluded on Friday, was the last before the Czech Republic assumes the rotating EU presidency. Leaders of 27 EU member states agreed on a common energy and climate policy, a recovery plan for the European economy and approved a number of Irish-inspired concessions on the Lisbon treaty. All this was good news for the Czechs who will soon be in the spotlight as the next country presiding over the European Union.

A delegation of Parliament’s Foreign and Defense Committee left for Afghanistan on Sunday ahead of a decisive vote on reinforcing the country’s foreign missions. They will be meeting with troops serving in the country’s provincial reconstruction team in southern Logar and the US-led Operation Enduring Freedom in order to ascertain how badly the proposed reinforcements are needed.