Category: radio.cz

The Czech Minister of the Interior, Vít Rakušan, has announced that the Roma family whose home was firebombed in 2009 can ask for help if they feel threatened again. Two of the four neo-Nazi perpetrators of the arson attack were released from prison on Tuesday.

Mr. Rakušan said that the family are not automatically entitled to police protection, but that a way has been found to help them. Police representatives have met with them in recent days.

The attack in the Moravian town of Vítkov left three members of the Roma family injured, with two-year-old Natália suffering burns on 80 percent of her body and losing three fingers. She has since undergone over 100 operations.

Prime Minister Petr Fiala of Czechia has highlighted the unique opportunity the country has to contribute to the energy security of Europe through the extraction of lithium from the Cínovec deposit in Teplice, north Bohemia. He made the comment on a stop on his way to Dresden, where he is due to meet Saxon Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer to sign a memorandum on cooperation on projects of strategic importance, including the extraction of strategic raw materials such as lithium.

Cínovec is home to Europe’s largest deposit of lithium, which the European Union has classified as a critical material. This is a great opportunity for Czechia to become a major player in the European energy security landscape. With the right investments and support, the country can become a leader in the production of lithium and other strategic raw materials.

The iconic astronomical clock calendar in Prague’s Old Town Hall tower has been the subject of controversy since its 2018 unveiling. After Milan Patka from the Club for Old Prague filed an 18-page complaint about the copy to the National Heritage Inspectorate, art historians and restorers were up in arms about the artistic licence taken by the creator of the copy, Stanislav Jirčík.

Many of the faces from the original painting had been considerably altered, and in one controversial instance, the skirt that a character was wearing had been shortened into a “mini-skirt”, finishing above the knee.

After looking into the matter, the National Heritage Inspectorate ruled that Jirčík, City Hall, and the restorers were all to blame, but no one was punished. The new copy of the calendar will be produced by the Academy of Fine Arts this time, with the cost of replacing the unpopular copy split roughly half and half between the contractor and the city.

This Tuesday, Prague’s Ponrepo cinema will be screening Oleksandr Dovzhenko’s critically acclaimed film Arsenal. The 58-minute-long film recalls an episode from the Russian Civil War and is part of a larger ongoing series that seeks to introduce Ukrainian cinematography and its evolution to Czech viewers. The screening will be accompanied by music performed by the up-and-coming Czech composer Ian Mikyska, who will be playing an electric guitar and the viola de gamba. Following the screening, leading Ukrainian academics will be present to share their thoughts on the history, culture, philosophy and traditions of Ukraine. Later films in the series include Koliyivshchyna, The Long Farewell, and Babylon XX. More details can be found on the Ponrepo website.

Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has announced that his horse, which was kidnapped in Czechia, is being returned to him. The stallion was being kept at a stable in Central Bohemia when it was abducted by Ukrainian secret service agents in cooperation with the Czech police. Kadyrov said he paid the ransom demanded.

The Czech police have declined to comment on the incident. It is unclear how the horse was returned or who was responsible for the kidnapping.

Kadyrov has been the leader of Chechnya since 2007 and is known for his strongman tactics. He has been accused of human rights abuses and has been sanctioned by the United States.

Mr. Bek has proposed a number of solutions to the problem, including increasing the number of secondary schools and making secondary school education more general. He said this would help to ensure that all children have access to a quality education.

The minister also said that the government should focus on providing more resources to schools, such as better teachers and more modern equipment. He said this would help to ensure that all children have access to a quality education.

Mr. Bek’s proposals have been welcomed by many, who believe that the current system is outdated and needs to be reformed. It remains to be seen whether the government will take action to address the issue.

The Czech Republic’s umbrella trade union organization has voiced strong protest against the government’s proposed austerity package, arguing that it will place an excessive burden on the weakest social groups. The unions’ head Josef Středula announced a strike alert before negotiations with government officials and employers began. Prime Minister Petr Fiala called the unions’ stand “irresponsible”.

Employers’ representatives and the Czech Chamber of Commerce expressed appreciation of the government’s efforts to lower the state deficit, but asked for further talks regarding some of the measures that will affect local businesses. The prime minister said minor alterations to the package were possible, but he would not allow it to be eroded by radical changes.

The austerity package aims to save 94 billion crowns in 2023 and will mean higher taxes for companies and individuals, layoffs or reduced salaries in the public sector, an end to all non-investment subsidies, the scrapping of work benefits and higher sickness insurance for employees, a slower growth in pensions and VAT alterations which will further increase the prices of goods and services. The five party ruling coalition has said the proposal presented was the best possible compromise.

The Czech government recently presented an austerity package in an effort to reduce the country’s growing state debt. According to a poll conducted by the Median agency for Czech Radio, 51% of Czechs think the package is necessary. However, 40% of respondents said they did not understand the measures.

Many people feel that the changes are coming too late and that they will not be enough to tackle the growing state debt. Over two-thirds of respondents said they do not believe the austerity package will be effective.

The government has promised to reduce the budget deficit to 2.9% of GDP by 2021. It remains to be seen whether the austerity package will be enough to achieve this goal.

The release of two neo-Nazi arsonists has sparked outrage in the Czech Republic. Václav Cojocaru and Ivo Müller were convicted of firebombing a Roma family’s home in 2009, leaving three members of the family injured, including a two-year-old girl who suffered burns on 80 percent of her body and lost three fingers.

The district court ruled last week that the two could be released on probation after serving 13 years of a 20-year sentence. The decision has been met with shock and anger from the Roma community and human rights activists.

Two others convicted over the crime remain in prison, but the early release of Cojocaru and Müller has been seen as a sign of leniency towards racially motivated violence. The Czech government has promised to review the decision and take action to ensure justice is served.