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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

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.

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.

“One Century of Czech Ice Hockey” is the title of an exhibition which has just opened at Prague’s National Museum. It features photographs and documents from the history of the sport in this country, as well as valuable medals, jerseys and other memorabilia.

The fragile balance of forces on the Czech political scene has tipped slightly in favour of the opposition parties, after Social Democrat renegade and later independent Michal Pohanka announced on Thursday that he was giving up his mandate in the lower house of Parliament. This is bad news for Prime Minister Topolánek’s shaky coalition government which now has just 96 certain votes in the lower house. Once Mr. Pohanka is replaced by an MP loyal to the Social Democrats the opposition will have 97 votes at its disposal.

Despite its minority support in the lower house the centre-right governing coalition on Wednesday pushed through the state budget for 2009, securing the votes of all five rebel deputies and overriding protests from the opposition Social Democrats and the Communists. This could be seen as a major victory for Prime Minister Topolánek’s government, but there’s a hitch. The budget, which operates with a deficit of some 38 billion crowns, or more than 1.9 billion US dollars, is based on a 4.8 percent economic growth forecast which critics say is simply

Several Czech films made their New York debuts at The Brooklyn Academy of Music recently. The New York cultural institution's annual Czech film series is now it its ninth year - and is the longest running series at the Academy. This year's roster of films included Bohdan Sláma’s ‘The Country Teacher,’ Vladimir Michálek's 'Of Parents and Children', and Jan Svěrák's 'Empties'. Kate Barrette has this report from New York where she spoke with Czech directors and actors, as well as the co-curator of the series Irena Kovářová:

Endless queues at the doctors’ have long been a major complaint by Czech patients. Especially during the flu season, it’s not uncommon to wait an hour or more. But now that could change. In January the country’s largest insurer, VZP, will launch a project, entitled Akord (Accord), aimed at improving doctors’ services. That could cut down on time spent in the waiting room. Soon, many will be able to call ahead for appointments at participating practitioners, guaranteeing waiting times of just 15 minutes.

Czech ratification of the Lisbon Treaty has essentially been on ice for eight months as the Constitutional Court weighed in on whether such an agreement was in any way at odds with the nation’s constitution. The court eventually found that it was not – but far from marking the beginning of smooth sailing towards the treaty’s ratification, fresh squabbles and delays are threatening to cast a shadow over the Czech EU presidency.