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On Tuesday, protesters from the initiative “For a Free Syria” gathered in front of the Czech government’s headquarters. Demonstrators are demanding that the Czech Republic sever all diplomatic ties with Syria, as many other European nations have already done. However, it seems unlikely that the Foreign Ministry will take this step.

A study conducted by the non-governmental organisation People in Need, together with Millward Brown, gauging how Czech secondary school students view Czech society and the world around them, has produced some worrying results. Along with the ‘usual’ dissatisfaction over issues such as poor governance (highlighted in a previous study in 2009) the majority of 1,100 students queried now perceived the number one issue as problems with the Roma minority – citing an alleged unwillingness on their part to work, improve in their studies and so on.

It’s a revolution in Czech health care: as of this month some Czech hospitals are enabling patients to be treated by the surgeon or specialist of their choice on condition that they are prepared to pay extra for his or her services. While the change has only legalized a practice that’s been around for years, critics say it smacks of discrimination.

Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg on Friday presented the 16th annual Gratias Agit awards in recognition of those who promote the good name of the Czech Republic abroad. This year’s 12 laureates of the prize include former figure-skating champion Ája Vrzáňová, UK-based architect Eva Jiřičná, composer Antonín Tučapský, and others.

A conference and an exhibition this week commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of the late Professor Gordon Skilling, a leading scholar on modern Czech and Slovak history. Gordon Skilling’s life-long interest in Central Europe began before WWII when he came to Prague to do research for his dissertation, a time he also briefly worked for Radio Prague. We spoke to Gordon Skilling’s son David who is in Prague for the events, and asked him what it was like to be growing up surrounded by all things Czech.

On occasion of the 70-year-anniversary of the Heydrich assassination, an exhibition on the subject has opened in Israel’s Parliament, the Knesset. While the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich is one of the most significant events in modern Czech history, the story of how the governor of the occupied Czech lands was killed is relatively unknown in Israel – despite the fact that Heydrich was one of the main architects behind the Final Solution.

The government of Petr Nečas approved a bill that will regulate bearer shares and allow authorities to identify their owners. If passed by Parliament, the anti-corruption measure, which was announced by Deputy Prime Minister Karolína Peake on Wednesday, will force companies to register bearer shares in a central depository kept by the stock exchange, or deposit them with banks.

Václav Pačes, the head of a government-appointed energy commission, has presented his suggestions for the future energy policy of the Czech Republic. Among them is an increase in the share of nuclear power in the country’s energy mix of to up to 50 percent over the next few decades. We spoke to Chris Johnstone, who has been covering the Czech energy market extensively for many years, about the significance of Mr Pačes’s proposals, the future of nuclear power and some of the challenges that lie ahead.

Demonstrators gathered outside of two government ministries on Tuesday to protest against government reforms and austerity measures. The all-day happening (which included outdoor concerts, theatre and public debate) was organised by student activists and union reps behind the Stop the Government movement. Already the event, the first of five planned over the next two weeks, has drawn criticism from the prime minister.

They call it the biggest Roma culture festival in the world, and it’s back in Prague for the 14th year. The Khamoro, or World Roma Festival, means nine days of some of the best gypsy bands from all corners of Europe, but also a wide array of cultural and sociological events all aimed at promoting unity and understanding.