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Czech candidate for European Commissioner Jozef Síkela reportedly succeeded in today’s hearing in the European Parliament, with the Development Committee (DEVE) supporting his candidacy, according to the Czech Press Agency (ČTK). Following a three-hour questioning, committee members assessed his responses, with a two-thirds majority reportedly in his favor. The committee did not publicly announce its stance, and final results will be confirmed after all 26 commissioner hearings conclude.
MEPs questioned Síkela on his plans to enhance development cooperation and ensure efficient fund allocation. Additional queries addressed his role in migration and how cooperation with third countries could prevent illegal migration. Final decisions will be made by the Conference of Presidents on November 21, with the European Parliament voting on the entire commission on November 25. If approved, the new EC could commence on December 1.
The re-election of Donald Trump as American president will strengthen the position of the European Parliament faction Patriots for Europe, to which the Czech ANO party belongs, according to ANO vice-chairman Karel Havlíček. Speaking to journalists at the Chamber of Deputies today, Mr. Havlíček predicted that bilateral relations between Czechia and the USA at the level of national leadership will weaken, and the Czech government will have neutral relations with the new administration.
At the same time, he expects that American relations with the multinational Patriots for Europe group within the European Parliament will improve, since the Patriots are the main partner of the American Republican Party within the EU, sharing views on migration, climate, energy policy and security.
The second of the two young men from Czechia who were injured on October 29th while riding on the roof of a Vienna metro train has now died. The death of the 18-year-old was confirmed today by the Vienna General Hospital, following the death of a boy a year younger last Saturday. The two teenagers, the older a Czech citizen and the younger a Ukrainian citizen with permanent residence in Czechia, were taking part in the online trend of 'metro-surfing' when they were killed close to Schönbrunn station. The public-transport operator Wiener Linien has expressed condolences and urged the general public not to take such risks for the sake of social-media content.
The Czech government has approved a request from Olomouc Governor Ladislav Okleštěk to extend the state of danger in flood-affected areas of Jesenicko and Šumpersko until December 12. Agriculture Minister Marek Výborný (Christian Democrats) stated that this measure will expedite flood damage recovery in these mountain regions.
The government has also approved an additional CZK 3 billion for the State Fund for Transport Infrastructure (SFDI) to repair infrastructure damaged by September floods. The budget increase, requested by Transport Minister Martin Kupka (Civic Democratic Party), will support both investment and non-investment projects in flood-affected regions, primarily in Moravia and Olomouc.
Urenco, a British uranium-enrichment company with plants in Germany, the Netherlands, the USA and the UK, will continue to supply uranium to Czech nuclear power plants, as the Czech semi-state energy group ČEZ has agreed on cooperation with Urenco until at least the mid-2030s, ČEZ said today.
Enriched uranium is a key fuel for nuclear power plants, one which Czechia also receives from the French company Orano. According to ČEZ, extending its cooperation with Urenco will give the company security by obtaining uranium from multiple sources, increasing the safety of nuclear power plant operations in case one of their suppliers runs into problems with uranium delivery.
The Ostrava-based company Vítkovice Steel has reported a profit of 330.8 million crowns for the year 2023, its best economic result in over fifteen years, said their spokeswoman Jana Dronská today. The steelworks, which are an iconic business in the Silesian city, made a profit after many years of losses, with its loss in 2022 amounting to 550 million crowns.
The Czech steel industry is still facing serious problems, but the acquisition of a new financial partner and an increase in production helped the company to achieve the positive result. Vítkovice Steel is a traditional European manufacturer of rolled steel products, which has over 800 employees and exports to over fifty countries.
Tomorrow's weather will be overcast with low clouds, initially foggy, then clear to partly clear in places. In the afternoon and evening, the low clouds will mostly dissolve. The highest temperatures will be between 8 and 12 °C.
Jozef Síkela spoke to the European Parliament on Wednesday to defend his designation as European Commissioner for International Partnerships. Síkela was questioned by members of the Development Committee, outlining a vision for the EU's Global Gateway strategy that balances economic interests with core European values.
The newly reconstructed Baroque Savarin Palace on the street Na Příkopě in central Prague will serve as the permanent home of the Alfons Mucha Museum. The partnership was announced earlier this week by the Mucha Foundation and Crestyl, the developer behind the Savarin project.
Although many Czech women are still delaying parenthood to focus on careers, new research from the SYRI Institute suggests that this trend may be slowing down.
Mezipatra, a Czech name that translates to ‘mezzanine’, is an internationally renowned LGBT-focused film festival, and it returns for this year on November 7th. First founded back in 2000, this year’s programme features a rich selection of films from a variety of countries, among which will be the winners of the festival juries’ awards for Best Feature Film and Best Short Film. The festival’s head of programme, Kristýna Genttnerová, spoke to Danny Bate about what awaits fans and viewers this year.
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