Current Affairs | All stories

Under communism Czech society was highly institutionalized and an unhappy legacy from that time is the disproportionately large number of children growing up in children’s homes. By way of comparison, there are fewer children in institutional care in Britain than in the Czech Republic, even though the country has nearly six times the population. Children growing up in homes often end up with huge social and educational disadvantages, and this was what motivated the Faculty of Education at Prague’s Charles University to carry out a project aimed

Czech President Václav Klaus has expressed support for Slovakia in its dispute with Hungary over recently approved legislation allowing ethnic Hungarians to apply for Hungarian citizenship. The move, seen as a “security risk” by Bratislava, has prompted the Czech head of state to voice his longstanding concerns about Hungary’s intentions in the region.

Paying by plastic card took off in the Czech Republic after the fall of Communism as the country transformed into a developed consumer society. But surveys still show a hard core of Czechs shun payment cards preferring good old cash because they feel they can better keep track of their spending. Now some card companies are rolling out smarter systems which might help overcome this last resistance.

The Czech hockey team is fresh from its gold medal win at the World Championship in Germany, but many in the country are wondering what will come next for the national team. Ahead of the tournament, coach Vladimír Růžička promised he would be stepping down, handing the reins to his successor Alois Hadamczik. Curiously, it is the second time Růžička has won gold at the Worlds only to be followed by Hadamczik and there are a number of challenges that the new coach will face.

Three years ago, the central square in the city of Ostrava, in the north-east of the country underwent a thorough renovation. But locals complained about the poor quality of the job and the inferior stones the square was paved with. The authorities had already launched an investigation into the matter when on Tuesday, the complainers were proved right: a fire engine sank into a hole in the square’s paving.

Prague’s famous St. Vitus’ Cathedral, home to the country’s coronation jewels and the final resting place of Czech kings, has long been an issue of contention between the Catholic Church and the state. On Monday President Václav Klaus and Archbishop Dominik Duka announced that they had agreed to end the 18-year-long legal battle over ownership rights and signed an amicable agreement on joint administration of the cathedral.

As of June 1, product placement in soap operas or talk shows will become a legal way for television networks to increase their budgets in the Czech Republic. This change in law follows an EU directive aiming to provide some clear guidelines for product placement in television. Networks are obliged to air a disclaimer before any program that contains this form of advertising, but nonetheless, the line between advertising and programming has just become a bit more blurry. Media lawyer Martin Elger talks about the significance of this new law.

For several years a battle over a piece of farmland has stopped a strategic Czech motorway project in its tracks. On Monday the government decided to remove that obstacle with the radical step of expropriation. We look at that controversial step and whether it will bear fruit.

With four days still to go before Czechs start voting in elections to the lower house, the last opinion poll has come out. But the political parties and their leaders still hope to sway some of those wavering or undecided voters with final rallies and debates still to come.

The Czech Republic’s ice hockey players have scored a victory that will live long in the memory, taking gold at the World Championship on Sunday night after a thrilling final win over Russia. A Czech squad featuring several relatively unknown players defied the odds to take the trophy – sending fans around the Czech Republic into ecstasy.