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The United States Senate on Wednesday approved the nomination of Andrew Schapiro as ambassador to Prague. Like the outgoing American ambassador, Norman Eisen, Mr. Schapiro is a lawyer who has worked alongside the US president, Barack Obama. But how is the next US ambassador like to differ from his predecessor? That’s a question I put to journalist Daniel Anýž, who is an expert on Czech-US relations.

The senior coalition Social Democrats have suffered an embarrassing setback in the lower house after a group of their MPs on Wednesday joined the opposition to pass a bill lowering fuel tax. The move, which casts doubt on the Social Democrats’ unity, has raised the ire of coalition leaders over its massive impact on the state budget. However, coalition MPs have bent the rules of parliamentary procedure to schedule a new vote on the bill.

The Czech Health Ministry on Wednesday presented a national strategy to improve public health, which has in some respects deteriorated over the past decades. The document entitled Health 2020 addresses 16 areas, from lack of physical exercise to better institutional health care.

The environment minister has just unveiled what he describes as a revolutionary amendment aimed at making the Czech Republic’s national parks more accessible to the public. However, some critics say the planned change could lead to damage to valuable wildlife, while others say the bill contradicts existing legislation on the country’s biggest national park, Šumava.

Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka on Monday continued his tour of government ministries, this time focusing on Černín Palace and results over the last half year by the country’s foreign minister, Lubomír Zaorálek. Mr Sobotka and the foreign minister discussed economic diplomacy as well as developments in Israel and in eastern Ukraine.

The Czech Republic is one of the last remaining EU states which does not have a children’s Ombudsman, according to a government report on the state of human rights in the Czech Republic. The report says that while cases relating to minors can be dealt with by the Ombudsman’s Office, the institution lacks the staff and money needed to properly address problem areas deserving of attention.

The Czech coalition parties have nominated Regional Development Minister Věra Jourová as the country’s candidate for the European Commission. The Czech government hopes she could take over one of the economic portfolios in the commission. Ms Jourová, of the ANO party, meanwhile, has vowed to raise the EU’s prestige with Czechs.

Defence Minister Martin Stropnický on Thursday paid a morale-boosting visit to Czech troops in Afghanistan, following last week’s suicide bomb attack which killed five servicemen. The visit took place in the midst of a security scare at the Czech embassy in Kabul and a pre-dawn attack on Kabul International Airport.

Czech pop singer Michal Hrůza was taken to hospital in critical condition early on Thursday after sustaining a serious brain injury in a pub fight in the eastern Czech city of Ostrava. The 43-year-old musician has undergone brain surgery, but doctors say the prognosis is uncertain.

Only three months after the Temelin nuclear tender was scrapped, chances that the Czech Republic will swiftly restart preparations to build new reactors have revived with one of the main critics of the former Temelin tender now backing nuclear expansion.