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NATO foreign ministers concluded two days of talks in Brussels on Wednesday focussing on issues such as the INF Treaty, the crisis in the Sea of Azov, stability in the Western Balkans and Afghanistan. The Czech Republic was represented by Foreign Minister Tomáš Petříček.

It is generally still easier in the Czech Republic than elsewhere in the EU to hide crucial parts of corporate structures – including the ultimate beneficial owners of a business – from public scrutiny. While registering a business in a non-transparent tax haven is one way for owners to hide their identities, a growing number are taking a more brazen route: paying so-called “white horses” – often homeless people – to act as frontmen.

This Wednesday, December 5th, Czech children eagerly await the visit of the bearded St. Nicholas and his two companions – an angel and a devil. The much treasured tradition has been going strong for centuries and is unlikely to disappear any time soon.

The National Centre for Combatting Organized Crime issued its annual report on Wednesday highlighting potential security risks to the country. It reported a growing number of sham marriages, particularly with citizens of Turkey, and warned of “uncontrolled numbers of people practicing Islam entering the country”.

The latest annual report of Czech counter-intelligence service BIS has outlined a series of threats to national security in what analysts say is unusually direct, rather undiplomatic language. In particular, BIS points to efforts by Russian and Chinese spies and other actors in terms of spreading disinformation in a bid to sway public opinion, and engaging in economic espionage.

Locals in a protected villa district in Prague’s Vinohrady were shocked as one of the houses, an art deco building from 1921, started being torn down on Friday. The local mayor immediately halted the demolition and is pursuing legal measures to protect the villa.

A leaked European Commission legal opinion, first reported on by The Guardian newspaper this weekend, states that Prime Minister Andrej Babiš is in an inherent “conflict of interest” position as he ultimately remains in control of the Agrofert conglomerate he founded – despite having placed it into two trust funds. The Czech state could be forced to return 82 million euros worth of subsidies granted to Agrofert in 2018, and potentially far more, while the country’s ability to draw further funds could also be impacted.

Friday has seen the visit of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to Prague, where he has been meeting his counterpart Andrej Babis, as well as Czech President Miloš Zeman. Migration, economic interests and V4 collaboration have been the main topics on the agenda.

Prague’s annual Christmas markets have taken over the city center, and with them, the stalls selling so-called “old Czech” trdelník. I spoke with some of the tourists enjoying this not-so-traditional treat.

A year ago this coming Sunday, a 33-year-old footbridge in Prague’s Troja district collapsed, leaving four people injured, two severely. That incident set off a flurry of technical inspections of bridges stretching across the Vltava River and beyond. It’s not a pretty picture.