Current Affairs | All stories

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš is once again fighting for his political future in the wake of revelations that his son, who allegedly suffers from a mental disorder was held in Crimea against his will by his father’s associate to prevent him testifying in the Stork’s Nest affair in which the prime minister faces charges of EU subsidy fraud. Opposition parties have called on the prime minster to resign and are trying to raise support for a no-confidence vote in his administration. His fate now hangs on the decision of his coalition partner the

Prime Minister Andrej Babiš’s recent tweet reinvigorated the discussion about creating a special Prague district for government officials, which he believes would create synergy and save the state money on rent. The prime minister’s vision is likely to run into obstacles however, as the future mayor of the capital, Zdeněk Hřib, says he is against creating mono-thematic districts.

The investigation into the Stork’s Nest affair in which Prime Minister Andrej Babiš is suspected of EU subsidy fraud has taken a new twist. The prime minister’s son Babiš Jr., who lives in Switzerland, told investigative reporters he had been forcibly detained in Crimea by his father’s associates during the time of the investigation so that he would not be called as a witness. The news erupted like a bombshell on the Czech political scene with opposition parties threatening to call a vote of no-confidence in the government.

The Ministry of Interior has opened a shop in the Prague city centre – actually, more of a showcase of stolen goods and assets seized in criminal proceedings, up for auction. The aim is to raise funds more quickly to compensate victims of crimes.

In recent years, Prague has seen a surge in the number of people offering their rooms and apartments for rent. In fact, every fifth apartment in the downtown area is now rented out via Airbnb or similar services, according to a new study. But experts say fears of city centre depopulation may be exaggerated.

Space enthusiasts from the Czech Republic and beyond are in for a treat. Starting on Saturday, Prague and Brno will host Czech Space Week, a nine-day-long series of events that will bring together scientists, businessmen and government officials who are active in the area.

Craftsmen producing glass Christmas ornaments and resist block printing, who were nominated last year, are eagerly awaiting the decision of a special UNESCO committee that is to decide whether they will have the honour of being listed on its Intangible Cultural Heritage list. Meanwhile the country’s beer barrel coopers, bagpipers and chenille fabric producers are hoping to be nominated in the future.

The Czech Republic – along with most Council of Europe member states – has signed on to the “Istanbul Convention”, which aims at preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, and adapted its legislation towards ratifying the treaty. The main challenge now, according to the Czech Women’s Lobby, is to take concrete steps to better prevent such violence and help those who fall victim to it.

The Klatovy-based company Aerotech Czech will be manufacturing and testing parts of the propulsion system of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) upcoming Ariane 6. The carrier rocket is set to have its first launch in 2020 and will carry a Czech flag on its hull.

The Czech Republic’s Social Democrat minister of foreign affairs says the Democrats’ seizure of the US House of Representatives could lessen the impact of some of Donald Trump’s policies. But the head of the right-wing Civic Democrats calls the results a clear success for the Republicans, who have tightened their grip on the Senate.