Laden...
Europe must be involved in peace negotiations on Ukraine but must first define a common position coordinated with Ukraine and the United States, Czech President Petr Pavel said on Saturday at the Munich Security Conference. He emphasized that Europe cannot allow discussions about Ukraine to happen without Ukraine’s involvement, referencing Czechoslovakia’s experience with the 1938 Munich Agreement.
Speaking on a panel about European support for Ukraine, the Czech head of state was joined by Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, and Friedrich Merz, leader of Germany’s opposition Christian Democratic Union, who is a strong contender for chancellor in next week’s elections.
On the sidelines of the conference, President Pavel met with U.S. special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, General Keith Kellogg, and CDU leader Merz. Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský is also attending the conference.
The government has approved Jan Havránek as the next ambassador to the United States, Respekt.cz reported on Friday. Mr. Stašek is currently deputy to Ambassador Miloslav Stašek and is expected to take office in 2026.
Mr. Havránek is an expert on defense, security, and hybrid threats. He previously worked at NATO and served as deputy to Defence Minister Jana Černochová, overseeing strategic defense planning.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Daniel Drake declined to comment, citing the classified nature of the selection process until the host country grants approval.
The Pirate Party has elected its chairman, Zdeněk Hřib, to lead them in the autumn parliamentary elections. Party members chose him on Saturday at a national forum in Zlín, favoring him over Senator Adéla Šípová. Mr. Hřib, who plans to run in Prague, where he is deputy mayor, won 492 out of 643 votes.
The Pirate chairman said the party will focus on affordable housing, lowering the cost of living, and modernizing the state. He aims for a double-digit result, similar to 2017, when the party won 22 seats. In 2021, running in coalition with the Mayors and Independents, they secured only four. Recent polls suggest they are below 10%.
Mr. Hřib ruled out post-election cooperation with Freedom and Direct Democracy, the Communist Party, and anyone facing criminal prosecution.
Several dozen people protested in central Prague on Saturday against the government of Prime Minister Petr Fiala and postal voting, introduced by a law last year. The measure allows Czechs abroad to vote by mail in parliamentary, European, and presidential elections, starting this autumn.
The protest, organized by the National Democracy and other groups, took place at Old Town Square. Demonstrators carried Czech flags and whistles, calling postal voting unconstitutional and criticizing the EU, the Constitutional Court, and its president, Josef Baxa.
President Petr Pavel signed the postal voting law last summer, despite opposition from the ANO and Freedom and Direct Democracy parties.
The Czech government is set to discuss regulated sales of kratom and cannabis with THC levels up to 1% on Wednesday, with the changes potentially taking effect in July. The proposal is part of a draft regulation listing so-called psychomodulatory substances, which falls under this year’s psychomodulants act. The European Commission is currently reviewing the accompanying regulations.
Health Ministry spokesman Ondřej Jakob told ČTK that the cabinet may delay the decision until after the EU review. Meanwhile, the Czech Cannabis Cluster CzecHemp opposes including low-potency cannabis on the regulated substances list.
Under the law, substances with unknown effects are studied for up to two years before being classified as either banned or eligible for regulated sales to adults.
Czechoslovakia’s Labská Shipping Joint-Stock Company in Děčín is shutting down after more than a century. Employees are being let go, and the company will go into liquidation, Czech Radio North reports. The company will sell or scrap its fleet of seven motor freighters and three push tugs.
The management has not disclosed the reason for the closure. Founded in 1922 by the state and banks, Labská Shipping was once the largest river shipping company in Central Europe with thousands of employees and hundreds of ships.
Saturday will be mostly cloudy, with occasional light snow in the north and northeast. In the evening, clouds and precipitation will decrease, especially in Moravia. Highs will range from -3 to +1°C, with around -7°C in the mountains.
Karel Čapek founded the PEN Club with the intention of protecting freedom of speech and the press, becoming its chairman. He was succeeded by figures such as Ivan Klíma, Jiří Stránský, and the current chairman, Ondřej Vaculík.
This e-mail is sent to you automatically according to the settings you chose. To change the settings, click here.
© 2025, Radio Prague International - the external service of Czech Radio, all rights reserved.
https://english.radio.cz, e-mail: english@radio.cz, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Instagram
Laden...
Laden...
© 2025
