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A protectionist measure or basic justice for workers. Those are the basic dividing lines over European Commission plans to draw up more stringent rules on so-called “posted workers” which are dividing states along old and new member fault lines with the Czech Republic firmly in the latter camp.

The Czech Republic is planning to buy 12 military helicopters at a cost of around CZK 10 billion crowns, Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka said on a visit to a helicopter base in Náměšť nad Oslavou on Tuesday. The new aircraft will replace existing Russian ones and only firms from NATO and EU states are likely to be allowed enter the tender process. The state will also put over CZK 500 million into renovating the base in Náměšť nad Oslavou, a process that should be completed in 2018, according to Mr. Sobotka.

The European Commission has warned the Czech Republic that it will take the country before the European Court of Justice over its alleged refusal to take back waste sent to Poland. The Commission made its announcement Friday, saying that the Czech Republic is obliged to take back dangerous waste. But the Czech Republic has and says it will continue to contend the description of the waste, arguing that it is a fuel mix and not dangerous. A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Environment said that Prague is fully prepared to defend itself in court. The Commission has been dealing with the case since November 2014.

A meeting of Visegrad Four prime ministers in Warsaw on Thursday ended with calls for speedy EU reform. Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlova, who hosted the meeting, said the EU must return to its roots and reflect the needs of its citizens. Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka said the European Council should lead the debate on EU reform. He said the EU member states needed to improve cooperation in the field of security, in protecting the union’s outer borders and in the fight against terrorism. The V4 debate also focussed on Brexit and the current situation in Turkey. It is the Visegrad Four’s first session since Poland took over the V4 presidency from the Czech Republic on July 1st.

The poor condition of a number of Italy’s banks could be a bigger danger to Europe and the Eurozone than Brexit, says the Czech minister of finance, Andrej Babiš. Mr. Babiš made the comment after a meeting of European Union finance ministers in Brussels on Tuesday, adding that the Italian government would have to support the country’s banking sector. He also said he was surprised that the incoming British prime minister, Theresa May, had said her country was definitely going to leave the EU.

A new working group established to plot Czech government policy in the wake of the United Kingdom’s Brexit vote will meet for the first time on Thursday, the Czech News Agency reported. The group will be headed by the state secretary for European affairs, Tomáš Prouza, and should produce a strategy for negotiations on the UK’s withdrawal from the EU and policy positions on the future working of the bloc by the end of September. Announcing the establishment of the group just after June’s Brexit vote, Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka said one of its aims would be to ensure continued equality for Czech workers in the UK.

Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka wants the president of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker to stay in his post. In an interview for the German weekly Der Spiegel, which was published on Saturday, Mr Juncker said that the Czech prime Minister had pressed him to remain in the post. Mr Juncker recently came under criticism from the Czech minister of foreign affairs, Lubomír Zaorálek, who said that he bears responsibility for the people of the United Kingdom voting to leave the European Union and should step down.

The government is set to earmark nearly 4 billion crowns in the next five years to support digital literacy, according to a strategy for digital literacy approved by the government on Thursday. Over three fifths of the sum will be covered by European funds while the rest will be paid by the state. The financing will be used for courses and training as well as for establishing digital centres for the public. The strategy, put forward by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, also aims to provide better access to the Internet for people from low income groups.

Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka has told the Czech daily Právo that referenda legislation approved by the government last year, could not be used (if approved by Parliament and signed into law) in a vote on the EU as it did not account for existing international treaties. He added that a departure from the European Union by the Czech Republic was in no way in the country's interests. In his view, it would negatively impact the economy, creating economic instability which would pave the way for recession. Mr Sobotka also said that an exit from the bloc would impact young people, closing opportunities and leading to a brain drain of specialists heading abroad. Asked about euro adoption, Mr Sobotka made clear that was a question to be settled over the next five to 10 years.

EU membership has been in the headlines since June 23, when Great Britain unexpectedly voted to become the first member to leave the bloc, leaving its future in doubt. On the Czech domestic scene, Euro MP Petr Mach - a former protege of euro sceptic ex-president Václav Klaus - has reportedly signaled he would like to launch a Czexit campaign.

The head of state, Miloš Zeman, himself drew a quick response from the government last Friday when he said he personally would not be against a vote on continued EU membership, although he made clear he would certainly vote against leaving.

Czech President Miloš Zeman has reiterated support for a bill on national referenda which was approved by the government last year. But he stirred emotions by suggesting on Friday that he would not be against Czechs voting on whether to stay in the European Union - although he said he would not vote to leave. Mr Zeman added that the Czech Republic received 200 billion crowns more from the EU than it gave back, stressing that “only someone crazy would give up so much money”. The head of state admitted it was “a cynical reason” but called it “a reason just the same”. Some time ago, the head of state spoke in the Chamber of Deputies recommending lawmakers pass the legislation; the bill needs three-fifths support in both chambers.