Morning News: Friday, May 26, 2023

• Prime Minister Petr Fiala met with the governor of the Czech National Bank, Aleš Michl, to discuss the inflation situation in the country on Thursday. Mr Fiala subsequently said that both agree on the need to continue the fight against rising costs and that it is necessary to substantially lower the current inflation levels.

• The oil price has decreased again, although at a slower pace. The average cost of a liter of oil dropped by 9 Czech haléřů to 31.04 Kč/l.  Diesel fuel reached below 31 Kč per liter for the first time since July 2021. However, the average price of Natural 95 gasoline remains stable at 36.52 Kč/l.

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• The US on-demand streaming service Netflix intends to take action against the sharing of user accounts in Czechia, thus preventing losses of up to six billion dollars a year. Users will receive an email reminding them that Netflix accounts are intended for one household only, but it will be possible to add another user to an account in Czechia for an additional CZK 79 per month.

• Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský met with top Iraqi officials in Baghdad on Thursday, to discuss Czech-Iraqi bilateral relations and the role of Czechia and the EU in stabilising Iraq. He will also meet with Czech soldiers in allied military missions and begin a one-day Czech-Iraqi business forum in Baghdad.

• The Minister of Labor, Marian Jurečka, is working on increasing the allowance by 50,000 Czech korunas, bringing it to 350,000 korunas. However, debates are underway about shortening the duration to three years and determining eligibility.