Current Affairs | All stories

Archaeologists have just discovered what they say is the first evidence that the Czech Republic’s most important pilgrimage site was inhabited during the era of the Great Moravian Empire; pieces of ceramic material found during a dig at Velehrad are being seen as proof that it was indeed settled in the 9th century.

Some people may have thought it was a political blip that would soon lose its allure, but a relative newcomer on the Czech political scene, TOP 09, appears to be going from strength to strength. A recent poll suggests it has eclipsed the two traditional parties on the right and left and is now the people’s favorite.

You might remember the 2004 documentary Super Size Me, where filmmaker Morgan Spurlock spent a month eating nothing but McDonalds; the film documents the drastic effects on his body and soul. There have been several attempts to emulate his experiment, the most recent here in the Czech Republic, when a man spent a month eating nothing but Czech food in pubs and restaurants…and lost six kilos. His diary has now been released as a book.

Croatia’s Dalmatian coast has long been the number one destination for Czech tourists during the summer months and as a result, three years ago, the Croatian government offered Czech police the opportunity to cooperate in key areas. Although they have no authority on their own and do not carry firearms, they are able to assist their Croatian counterparts in communication with Czech tourists in cases of theft or in traffic accidents.

A Czech noble has weighed into ongoing talks about whether the Czech state should sell one of Prague’s Baroque architectural masterpieces to its current tenants: the German embassy. For the Germans, the building is more than a 17th century architectural jewel, it is also part of their recent history.

Parts of Czech painter Alphonse Mucha’s work the Slav Epic will be carefully crated up on Monday as movers start taking it from its current home in the town of Moravský Krumlov to Prague. The late artist’s family is against this step, and is still fighting a legal battle in an effort to block it. But what significance does the loss of the 20-canvass masterpiece have for the small town of Moravský Krumlov, which has housed it since the 1950s?

A Czech toy manufacturer has recently bought the rights to a classic line of toy figurines – Igráček, a communist era knock-off of the well-known German Playmobil brand. The reissue of the plastic figures, which range from doctors and nurses to bricklayers and mailmen, is set to hit shelves in a few weeks.

A legal battle centred on the legacy of Prague-born writer Franz Kafka took a new turn this week with manuscripts and other material locked away in Swiss bank vaults being opened up for expert examination. The move should help determine whether a literary treasure trove has been kept hidden away for decades and could help to make it public.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Nečas undertook his first official visit abroad on Monday, travelling to the Slovak capital of Bratislava to meet with his counterpart Iveta Radičová. In their talks, the two discussed numerous issues, as well as the possibility of increased cooperation between both countries on the European level.

Curbing corruption was one of the promises made by the new centre-right Czech government appointed last week by President Václav Klaus. But its anti-corruption drive has come in the spotlight over the staffing policy of one of the coalition parties, Public Affairs. Its ministers have already hired several former employees of a security firm closely linked to the party’s Vít Bárta, who himself holds the transport portfolio.