The chairman of ANO, Andrej Babiš, says the party would like its choice – the director of the Czech branch of Transparency International, David Ondráček – to be named minister of the interior. However, the Social Democrats, who came first in elections a month ago, are also eyeing the interior portfolio. Mr. Ondráček has said he would consider accepting the post. In earlier talks on forming a coalition, possibly with the Christian Democrats, the Social Democrats and ANO agreed that the former would take the post of speaker of the Chamber of Deputies while the latter would get the job of finance minister. The Social Democrats received just over 22.08 percent of the vote in elections four weeks ago, with ANO coming second on 18.65 percent.
The leader of the Social Democrats, Bohuslav Sobotka, says the interpretation of a law preventing collaborators with the communist-era secret police holding high office should not be allowed to hold up talks on forming coalition. ANO chief Andrej Babiš has appeared on a list of secret police collaborators and is currently fighting allegations he cooperated with them in the courts in his native Slovakia. If he does not acquire a lustration (screening) certificate, he will not be able to enter government. Mr. Sobotka said on a TV debate show on Sunday that, 25 years after the revolution, it was time to ask whether the law should still be enforced.
Karel Gott has won the Český slavík (Czech Nightingale) award once again. The 74-year-old pop singer has won the prize, which is decided by a public vote, 38 times since it was launched in 1963 but last year was beaten to it by Tomáš Klus. Mr. Gott did not attend Saturday night’s ceremony at Prague’s State Opera as he was touring in Germany, where he is also very popular. Awards in other categories went to Lucie Bílá and the group Kryštof.
An enormous Christmas tree that will adorn Prague’s Old Town Square over the holiday season was cut down by the village of Rataje nad Sázavou in central Bohemia on Sunday. The 24-metre pine, believed to be about 80 years old, was felled by two-time Czech chainsaw champion Jiří Vorlíček, a native of Rataje nad Sázavou, in front of a crowd of around 200 people. After a complicated journey to the capital, the tree will be erected on Tuesday and ceremonially unveiled on Saturday.
Viktoria Plzeň have asked Zdeněk Zeman, who has mainly been working in Italian football since the early 1980s, to take over as coach following the news that Pavel Vrba will become manager of the Czech national team, the news website iDnes.cz reported. Zeman, who is 66, has managed a number of Serie A clubs, including Roma, Lazio and Napoli. A representative of Plzeň refused to confirm that the club has spoken to the coach, who moved to Italy in 1968.
Sparta Prague remain five points clear in the Czech soccer league, after coming from behind to beat Mladá Boleslav 4:1 in the capital on Saturday evening. The game was part of celebrations marking the 120th anniversary of the club. Second placed Viktoria Plzeň, who are reigning champions, had earlier beaten Brno 3:1 away.
With temperatures falling markedly, forecasters are warning of ice and snow drifts on Monday, particularly in parts of the eastern province of Moravia. Some 20 centimetres of snow is expected to fall in mountainous areas of the Czech Republic between now and Tuesday morning. Motorists are being warned to drive carefully in the Olomouc, Zlín and Moravia-Silesia regions.
It should be cloudy with some fair spells in the coming days. Temperatures will reach a maximum of 2 degrees Celsius.
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