Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala is blaming pro-Russian forces for mass demonstrations this weekend that saw tens of thousands of people protest against the government, the European Union and NATO amid soaring energy prices and inflation.
The “Czechia First” demonstration saw 70,000 people gather to protest the government in a development the Czech prime minister is blaming on elements influenced by Russian propaganda.
“It is clear that Russian propaganda and disinformation campaigns repeatedly appear on our territory and that someone is simply succumbing to them,” Fiala said.
Protesters, brought together by the Communist Party, the Freedom party, the Direct Democratic Party, and other groups labeled as “radical”–both far-left and far-right–called on the government to address soaring energy prices and the highest cost of living since the early 1990s for everything from housing to consumer goods.
Protesters called for a new deal with Russia for gas supplies, just a day after Moscow said natural gas flows through Nord Stream 1 to Europe that had been cut off for maintenance would not be restored on Saturday as scheduled, and would be delayed indefinitely.
Inflation has hit 17% and is marching towards 20% in the coming months, according to Fortune, citing the Czech central bank.
The mass protests also came a day after a no-confidence vote against the five-party coalition government failed.
While the prime minister blamed Russian influence, other coalition government officials warned against sidelining real economic issues facing the people.
News reports noted that some demonstrators donned T-shirts favoring Russian President Vladimir Putin and some carried anti-EU and anti-NATO posters.
Social unrest has been on the rise in Europe since Russia invaded Ukraine, with Western sanctions and soaring energy prices creating a toxic mix along with an influx of Ukrainian refugees. Tensions are rising ahead of a winter that is expected to see a worsening of the energy crisis.
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In the second quarter of 2022, the average gross monthly wage in the Czech Republic was CZK 40,086, an increase of 4.4% compared to the corresponding period of the previous year, according to data from the Czech Statistical Office (ČSÚ). However, due to inflation, this represents a drop of 9.8% in real terms, the biggest decrease in the nation’s history.
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US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin is due to arrive in Prague on Friday, September 9. The Pentagon chief will hold talks with Defence Minister Jana Černochová and Prime Minister Petr Fiala, focusing on aid to Ukraine and the current security situation.
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The Czech prime minister, Petr Fiala, has congratulated Liz Truss on her new role as UK PM and leader of the Conservative Party. Mr. Fiala, who heads the right-wing Civic Democrats, said on Monday that he believed the UK would remain a valued ally of Czechia and the European Union.
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Union leaders have called a demonstration for Prague’s Wenceslas Square on Saturday October 8. At a meeting in the capital on Monday the Czech Confederation of Trade Unions called on the government to implement measures to combat price rises and falling living standards.
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Ministers from the Slovak centre-right Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party resigned on Monday, making good on the party’s threats to leave the government amid clashes with senior ruling partners. The resignations mean the NATO and European Union member country’s centre-right cabinet will lose its parliamentary majority.
“Burčák” is partially fermented young wine and it is a very popular drink in Moravia, Austria, and Bavaria. This alcoholic wine drink is produced when pressed grape juice is partially fermented. Its consumption is typically connected with the first autumn days.
The law states that to be labeled a burčák, the product has to be made of Czech or Moravian fruits and can only be sold between August 1 and November 30 of the year.
The drink is considered to be a national treasure. Moravians are very passionate about the drink and claim that drinking seven liters per year guarantees good health in the upcoming year!
We have prepared a list of festivals where you can find “burčák” this year:
Vinohradské vinobraní
Burčák from ten different producers – just this fact is enough to have a rest and relax here after the working week. In addition, guests will enjoy a wide range of natural farm delicacies and wines from all over the Czech Republic, theatrical performances and other entertainment for children.
- Where: Náměstí Jiřího z Poděbrad, Praha 3
- When: 9 and 10 September, from 10:00 to 21:00
- Price: free entrance
- Program: click here
Malostranské vinobraní
Several ensembles of traditional Moravian music and dance will perform in the park on Kampa Island. Guests will be able to taste Moravian wines, burčák, sausages, cheeses and other products of the region.
- Where: Kampa
- When: September 10, from 13:00 to 20:00
- Price: free entrance
Trojské vinobraní
The festival will take place in the courtyard and garden of the magnificent Troja Castle. In addition to traditional wine tents, burčák and various delicacies, visitors can enjoy a rich cultural program. Organizers will create two stages, with street theater, children’s choir, dance groups and many other artists.
- Where: Prague 7, Trojský zámek
- When: September 10, from 11:00 to 20:00
- Price: 100 CZK for online purchase, 150 CZK for local purchase
Prague Castle
The festival of wine and burčák in the Royal Garden of Prague Castle will last two days. In addition to quality Moravian wine, you can find a rich cultural program – performances by folklore groups, fights of fencers and much more.
- Where: Pražský hrad, Praha 1, Královská zahrada (see map)
- When: 10 and 11 September, from 11:00 to 18:00
- Price: free entrance
- Program: click here
Kunratické vinobraní
The 12th festival of grape harvesting at the Kunratice fortress will last three days. You can find more than 150 sorts of wine. There will be also something to eat – grilled meat, sausages, cheeses and other delicacies. Visitors will also enjoy a tasting contest, wine stories about the process of wine production, evening fire show.
For children, organizers will prepare theatrical performances, various sports and creative competitions.
- Where: Zaparkem, Praha 4 (see map)
- When: 16, 17 and 18 September (Friday – from 16:00 to 22:00; Saturday – from 10:00 to 22:00, Sunday – from 10:00 to 17:00);
- Price: for one day – 100 CZK, for all three days – 150 CZK;
- Program: click here
Vinobraní na Grébovce
This event will be held in two stages. On Friday, September 23, the opening will take place at Namesti Miru, whiel on Saturday the celebration will move to Grebovka park (Havlíčkovy sady).
- Where: Náměstí Míru 20/600, Praha 2 (see map)
- When: September 23, from 12:00 to 20:00
- Price: free entrance
- Program: click here
Vinobraní na Náplavce
This tasting festival will be held by the river in the center of Prague. Tents with wine and burčák from Czech producers will be located on the quay Rašínovo nábřeží. The organizers have prepared live music and several different “wine” contests for the guests.
- Where: Náplavka, Rašínovo nábřeží 22
- When: 30 September and 1 October from 10:30 to 21:00
- Price: 100 CZK (glass tasting glass included)
- Program: click here
Prague’s Lennon Wall on Velkopřevorské náměstí is one of the most visited monuments in the capital.
Over the years, the colourfully painted wall behind which an enchanted garden is hidden has become a symbol of freedom, peaceful resistance to the communist regime, a bulletin board for love poems and a kind of symbolic tombstone a memorial of love for John Lennon.
More recently, it has served primarily as a canvas for professional and amateur artists worldwide.
On September 7, 27 artists (each representing an EU country) and two special guests from Norway and Ukraine will gather in front of the Wall of Freedom & Energy.
In the spirit of “United in Diversity”, they will transform Lennon’s wall beyond recognition in one day. Together they will create a “painting” of an impressive size of 35 x 5 metres, which will symbolise the alliance of the European nations of which the Czech Republic currently holds the presidency.
As a tribute to France, the country that held the EU presidency in the first half of the year, the work will then be photographed and printed at a scale of 1:1 on a 2-metre thick inflatable wall and sent to Strasbourg, Paris and Brussels (from October 3 – 9 2022).
The author and curator of the project is Pavel Št’astný, an artist and, among other things, the author of the Civic Forum logo, who has already looked after a new look of the Lennon Wall twice.
The Mozart Prague Hotel has a rich history of supporting artists for centuries. Therefore, the hotel is a proud partner of this project.
From September 6-8, the hotel will accommodate all participating artists in its rooms, who will be within walking distance of the Lennon Wall thanks to the hotel’s ideal location in the very centre of the metropolis. Andrea Žaba Klváčková from Slovakia, Jan Wessel from Denmark, Denis Klatt from Germany, and many others will participate in the new form of the wall.
The Czech Republic will be represented by Charlien, Lenka Brázdilová, who recently participated in the Czech exhibition on the fence of the Czech Embassy in Paris.
It all kicks off at 9 a.m. and before the opening of the finished work at 6:30 p.m., the hotel’s director, Stefan Rådström, under the supervision of the artists, will spray-paint the logo of the hotel and the My Hotel Match project on the wall.
The patron of the project is the CzechTourism agency and it was created in cooperation with the Vice-Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic Jan Horník and the Czech Ambassador in Paris Michal Fleischmann.
The average gross monthly salary in Czechia rose by 4.4 percent year-on-year in the second quarter of 2022 to CZK 40,086, according to the data released by the Czech Statistics Agency on Monday.
In real terms, taking into account inflation, the real wage dropped by 9.8 percent in the same period. It is the third quarter in a row that it has been falling.
Central Europe’s economies are bracing for a rough second half of the year, which could even mean a fall into recession for some, caused by double-digit inflation rates that are hitting consumer demand and taking away a key driver of the region’s post-pandemic recovery.
With inflation in the Czech Republic averaging 15.8% in the second quarter, wages were down by real 9.8% from a year before. The nominal wage rose 4.4%.
“It was clear that wage growth at such a pace would not be enough (to keep up with inflation),” Raiffeisen analysts said.
The real wage drop was slightly deeper than a Reuters poll forecast of a 9.5% decline but less than a central bank forecast of a 13.1% fall.
The central bank, which held interest rates unchanged last month but has not fully shut the door on further hikes, sees real wages falling by more than 12% in all of 2022.
In general, two-thirds of employees in Czechia earn less than the average wage. The median wage, a midway between the highest and the lowest levels, increased by 5.3 percent year on year to CZK 34,111.
Retail sales growth slowed in July to 4.3% year-on-year, data on Monday showed, adding to signs the cost of living crisis was catching up with central Europe’s economies despite rising nominal wages.
If your day doesn’t start until you’re up to speed on the latest headlines, then let us introduce you to our new morning fix.
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An estimated 70,000 people protested in Prague against the Czech government on Saturday (3 September), calling on the ruling coalition to do more to control soaring energy prices and voicing opposition to the European Union and NATO.
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US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin is due to arrive in Prague on Friday, September 9. The Pentagon chief will hold talks with Defence Minister Jana Černochová and Prime Minister Petr Fiala, focusing on aid to Ukraine and the current security situation.
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The number of newly confirmed Covid-19 cases in Czechia dropped week-on-week on Saturday after increasing for six days, according to the Ministry of Health data. Laboratories recorded 378 new cases on the first day of the weekend, which was 62 fewer than on the same day a week ago.
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Twelve people, mostly children, have been injured after a chair swing carousel collapsed at a funfair in Havířov, North Moravia on Saturday. The structure with seats rode up the central column to a height of about 15 metres.
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The European Union will invite the future Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to the informal EU summit to be held in Prague in October, European Council President Charles Michel told The Guardian newspaper on Saturday.
Tens of thousands of protesters from the far right and far left joined forces to rally against the country’s pro-Western Czech government in the capital on Saturday.
Police estimated that the crowd at Prague’s central Wenceslas Square numbered around 70,000.
Some of the groups represented at the demonstration included the major anti-migrant populist Freedom and Direct Democracy party and the Communist Party.
The protesters demanded the resignation of the current coalition government led by conservative Prime Minister Petr Fiala, criticizing it for a number of issues, including its Western-oriented policies.
They condemned the government for its support of the sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine and accused it of not being able to tackle soaring energy prices.
The demonstrators also criticized NATO, and the European Union and the 27-nation bloc’s plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions and reach climate neutrality.
Fiala said everyone has a right to demonstrate, but said those protesting are expressing pro-Russia views “that are not in the interest of the Czech Republic and our citizens.”
The Czech Republic firmly supports Ukraine in its battle against Russia’s invasion and has donated arms, including heavy weapons, to the Ukrainian armed forces.
The government is planning to call an emergency meeting of EU countries next week to seek a united approach to the energy crisis. The Czech Republic currently holds the bloc’s rotating presidency.
Nearly three decades after Czechoslovakia peacefully split into two states, Czechs are still looking for a proper name in English for their country.
“The Czech Republic” has been widely used, though the shorter “Czechia” has slowly been catching on since its official registration by the United Nations in 2016.
Today the European Union and NATO member’s current stint at the helm of the rotating EU presidency offers an opportunity for a breakthrough.
“We are seeking to unify the presentation of our country abroad and at home after a long 30 years,” Deputy Foreign Minister Martin Dvorak, an advocate of “Czechia”, told AFP.
“It is absurd to have 27 EU members and 29 NATO members using their short names and Czechia as the only member country stating its political status,” as a republic, he added.
The foreign ministry promotes the shorter name, while Prime Minister Petr Fiala’s office has largely used “the Czech Republic” on its website and social networks.
To make matters worse, at times the two names show up in tandem.
When it took over the EU presidency on July 1, the government rolled out a website hailing the “natural beauty of Czechia” in one sentence and the cultural heritage of “the Czech Republic” in the next.
“The current mess… in naming our country is the biggest obstacle to creating a ‘brand’. We want to change it,” said Dvorak.
“We can see some diplomats are having a hard time getting used to it, but the trend is already clear.”
Czechia was used in Latin texts centuries ago as an equivalent to Bohemia, referring to the western part of the country comprising Prague.
In the first English translation of the Czech anthem – titled “Where is my home?” – poet Josef Vaclav Sladek wrote “Czechia, my fatherland” in the 19th century.
After the Czechoslovakia (Ceskoslovensko) split, there were no doubts about Slovakia or “Slovensko”, as the name broke away as smoothly as the country itself.
But Czechs were reluctant to use the short name, also because of opposition in the historic eastern lands of Moravia and Silesia, which felt it slighted their territory.
Former Czech president Vaclav Havel once said hearing “Cesko” felt like “having slugs creeping down” his body.
The current head of state, Milos Zeman, in contrast is known for pushing Czechia as a more practical title.
Fellow fans of the name already founded the Cesko/Czechia initiative back in 1997.
On their website, they argue that the one-word version is a good fit for the country’s entire history, as it makes no allusion to any political system.
The initiative also waves aside concerns that Czechia is easy to confuse with Chechnya, the Russian republic.
“Country names cannot bow to the level of geographic knowledge,” said linguist Jiri Felix, pointing to the potential for confusion of existing names such as Slovakia and Slovenia or Austria and Australia.
Since UN registration, the short version has won over institutions and social media giants, including Google, the CIA and the European Union’s statistics office, Eurostat.
Media outlets have largely stuck to the “Czech Republic”, although the Associated Press has recently said the shorter name was “acceptable” in its stories if the author explains that Czechia and Czech Republic are one and the same.
Sports associations, which boast a big say in the matter, have long opposed Czechia, claiming that rebranding would be too costly.
But Czech Olympic Committee spokeswoman Barbora Zehanova told AFP, “Many sports associations have already started to use the shorter name.”
Czech Football Association (FACR) head Petr Fousek said local football authorities were also ready to use “Czechia in English whenever appropriate”.
“Of course, general rebranding is necessary but it will be carried out in several phases,” he told AFP.
The FACR will start using Czechia in its communication and then rebrand shirts and other gear.
Dvorak said the foreign ministry would keep negotiating with the sports world. “Hopefully our Olympic athletes will travel to Paris in 2024 as Czechia,” he added.
The Czech government survived a no-confidence vote on Friday after a marathon 22-hour debate in parliament amid opposition claims of inaction against soaring inflation and energy prices.
The vote showed how Europe’s energy crisis is fuelling political instability as soaring power prices add to inflation, already at levels unseen in three decades.
The centre-right, five-party coalition led by Prime Minister Petr Fiala has an eight-seat majority in the 200-seat lower chamber, easily denying two opposition parties the needed 101 majority required by in parliamentary votes.
Lawmakers gathered on Thursday and debated the motion throughout the night before a vote at midday on Friday.
“Prime Minister Fiala and his ministers are not able to run our country…. the energy crisis has completely got out of their hands,” opposition leader Andrej Babis told lawmakers.
Former prime minister Babis, a billionaire who was defeated in an election last year, also accused the government of links to people being investigated for alleged corruption in a scandal that has forced the resignation of the head of the secret service.
A loss of confidence would have been an embarrassment for the Czech government, which is leading the European Union’s rotating presidency as the bloc seeks to maintain unity for its support of Ukraine while finding a way to halt a surge in energy prices as a result of reduced Russian gas supplies.
Italy’s coalition government, led by former central banker Mario Draghi, collapsed in July in a confidence vote related to a package aimed to react to rising cost of living.
The Czech government fell in a no-confidence vote in 2009 when it last held the EU presidency.
The opposition is critical of government initiatives to help households and businesses, including a plan announced this week to support energy-intensive firms with a program worth as much as 28 billion Czech crowns.
Fiala has said his government has set aside 177 billion crowns, or nearly 3% of gross domestic product, in total to help people cope with soaring prices.
Ukrainians will hold a “March of Gratitude” through the streets of Prague to thank the Czech people for the help they have provided to refugees fleeing Russia’s invasion and the Czech government for the support it has given to Ukraine.
It will take place on Sunday, 4 September.
At 12:00 the participants will gather on Wenceslas Square and then walk along the main streets to Old Town Square. During the march, women and children will distribute flowers and small handmade souvenirs to passersby.
“All of us who found refuge in Prague and the Czech Republic, want to say “thank you”. Someone has settled us in the house, has invited for dinner, has helped to orientate us in the city and to sort out documents, or has looked after our children. We want to thank all these people with songs, dances and kind words. We will be very happy if you join our march”, say the organizers.
More information can be find here
More than 101,000 Ukrainian refugees, who moved to Czechia as a result of Russia’s invasion of their home country, have managed to find work since their arrival, the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs announced on Wednesday citing Labour Office data.
Within the less than half-year period since Russia’s aggression Czechia has issued nearly 410,000 temporary visas to Ukrainians. However, it seems that many have also returned to their home country since the beginning of the invasion, as child enrolment data into Czech schools suggest the number of Ukrainians now in Czechia is below to 300,000.
Ukrainian Children Sign Up for Czech Schools
Fifty-seven thousand Ukrainian children and students have signed up to attend Czech schools in the new school year, according to Czech Education Minister Vladimír Balaš.
At the start of June, it was estimated that 130,000 Ukrainian students and children were on Czech territory.
However, it is still unclear how many children will start attending school.
This July, Czech households paid the highest price in Europe for electricity; and yet, something many Czechs see only as a cruel joke, the country remains among the largest exporters of electricity in the world.
The July HEPI index (Household Energy Price Index), which compares the price of energy for households in individual European capitals, shows clearly what is occurring.
People living in Prague pay the highest price for electricity in all of Europe, according to the purchasing power parity of the currency. This index includes member states and countries outside the EU, such as Switzerland, Norway, and Russia.
According to the study, the people of Prague paid roughly 52 euro cents per kilowatt-hour in July. That is roughly twice as much as what residents of Bratislava pay and approximately three times more compared to the costs of residents of Budapest or Moscow.
Prague’s residents also pay almost four times more than households in the Swiss capital of Bern and over four times as much as households in Oslo, Norway.
Electricity prices in Prague are high even in absolute terms, without conversion, that is, according to the purchasing power parity of the currency.
In this case, Prague residents pay the fourth-highest price in the EU, roughly 41 euro cents per kilowatt-hour. Only residents of Copenhagen, Rome, and Amsterdam have more expensive electricity.
At the same time, Czechia is one of the largest exporters of electricity, even on a global scale. According to the EnAppSys analysis, the country exported 5 million megawatt hours of electricity more than it imported in the first half of this year, making it one of the biggest net exports in the EU.
Only Sweden, Germany, Bulgaria, and Spain exported more electricity during the first six months of this year. However, the price of electricity, calculated based on purchasing power parity, is average or below average in their capitals. The exception is Berlin because, in Germany, relatively high taxes are applied to electricity.
On the contrary, Italy is the largest net importer of electricity in Europe. That corresponds to the above data that Romans pay one of the highest prices for electricity in the EU. The Danes are also net importers of electricity.
In addition, Czechia has long been among the top 10 largest exporters of electricity in the world. Last year, it ranked sixth. Currently, in the era of dramatically rising electricity prices, the Czech Republic stands out. Paradoxically, despite its relatively high net exports and significant surplus in its electricity production, the country has the highest electricity price for households in all of Europe.
The key reason is the intensive Czech involvement in the single energy market in the EU. From the point of view of the energy market, Czechia is less a sovereign country and more a state in the EU project where energy can be bought and sold.
However, taxes also play a role. The tax burden on electricity for Czech households is significantly higher than what would correspond to the average of EU countries. In the Czech Republic, taxes, especially VAT, represent 24 percent of the price of electricity for households, according to the HEPI index. In the EU, it is only 18 percent on average.
The International School of Prague (ISP) is honored to welcome Czech-born artist, illustrator, and author, Peter Sís, as their first guest of the ISP Distinguished Speaker Series.
The Distinguished Speaker Series was set up in honor of former director, Dr. Arnie Bieber, whose transformational leadership over his 13-year tenure has made ISP the leading international school in Prague, committed to inspiring, empowering, and engaging all learners to be curious, competent, compassionate changemakers.
Peter Sís was born in Brno, Czechoslovakia, and attended the Academy of Applied Arts in Prague, and the Royal College of Art in London. He has published over 40 children’s books and is recognized all over the world for his incredible achievements in the field.
His numerous awards include the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Medal, Caldecott Medal, and MacArthur Fellowship.
Peter Sís will visit the International School of Prague campus in Nebusice from 8 – 9 September.
ISP is pleased to extend an invitation to the Prague community to attend a film screening of “Dreams About Stray Cats”* (watch trailer) along with a discussion and Q&A with Peter and David Sís (filmmaker). It will be an incredible evening, not to be missed!
What: An Evening with Peter Sís, Film screening, Q&A, and discussion with Peter and David Sís
When: Friday, September 9th, 5 pm – 7 pm
Where: The International School of Prague, Landau Theater (Parking is available)
This is a FREE event but seats are limited so RSVP here by 5 September.
*Dreams of Stray Cats is a documentary that chronicles the creative and captivating life story of award-winning artist, illustrator, and author, Peter Sis. The film was created by Peter’s brother, the filmmaker David Sís, who will also be present on September 9th to discuss the film.