Special | All stories

The inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States is at the center of media attention world-wide. What kind of leader will he turn out to be and how will his presidency impact European and world affairs? Those are questions that not just Czechs, but people around the globe are asking themselves. American entrepreneur Brady Clough has lived and worked in the Czech Republic since 1993. I asked him about his impressions of the US president-elect and how he interpreted some of his recent comments about the European Union, Brexit

It is exactly 40 years since the launch, on 6 January 1977, of the landmark Charter 77 declaration. Calling on Czechoslovakia’s Communist rulers to honour their commitment to human rights under the 1975 Helsinki Accords, it was to become the dissident movement’s most significant protest against the regime.

Václav Havel is probably the single most important figure in modern Czech history. Havel was born here in Prague and spent virtually his entire life in the capital. In this programme we will visit a number of spots in the city closely associated with the playwright, dissident and president. And for that we absolutely couldn’t have a better guide than the architect and writer Zdeněk Lukeš, who served under Havel at Prague Castle in the 1990s and in 2016 brought out the excellent guidebook Václav Havel’s Prague.

Radio Prague wishes its listeners Happy New Year 2017.

2016 has been an eventful year both on the domestic and international front. Senate and regional elections in the Czech Republic indicate that traditional parties may be in a crisis, trust in EU institutions has sunk even lower following the Brexit vote and special security measures are in place around the country following the terrorist attack in Berlin. In this half-hour debate on Radio Prague I look back at the past year – and the challenges that lie ahead - with political scientist Jiří Pehe and the head of the STEM polling agency Jan

2016 was a mixed year for Czech sport. There was quite a lot to celebrate, with the country bringing home 10 medals from the Rio Olympics, including one gold, and lifting tennis’s Fed Cup yet again. On the downside, the country’s footballers had a disastrous Euro 2016, picking up just one point.

If you’re casting around for key words in the Czech economy for 2016 then some of the following might be among the top 10: OKD, EET, Škoda Auto, low crown, Jiři Rusnok, jobs, wages, China, TTIP, and beer.

In most respects 2016 was a good year for tourism not least in the Czech capital, which saw yet another increase in the number of visitors. But there were complications as well, among them heightened security introduced at Prague Castle mid-season which led to unexpected and unprecedented lines, at least for a time. Still, on the whole, Prague offers more and better possibilities than ever, something Radio Prague discussed with the head of Prague City Tourism, Nora Dolanská. We began by asking her first how she rated 2016 overall.

In the last twenty-five years or so, Czechs have increasingly recognized the importance of giving to charity, not only for the sake of the society, but for themselves. Many people contribute to charity regularly, but at Christmas time the urge to help others and spare a thought for the less fortunate is stronger than ever. For this Christmas special I spoke to Pavla Vopeláková, a young woman whose whole life has revolved around charity, about her work for the Czech branch of the Salvation Army, some of the special charity projects linked to Christmas

It has been almost two years since Czech traveller Petr Kočnar settled in Rwanda after travelling previously in other countries in Africa. Kočnar originally hoped to volunteer for an aid organisation in the country, but finding none suitable, co-founded his own small NGO, called “Talking Through Art”. The idea was to help locals with physical disabilities, through art therapy, English lessons, and vocational training, to help them better integrate within society.