Czech news in brief for August 30: Sunday's top morning headlines

Czechia is backing EU plans for migrant return centers outside the bloc, wages are expected to have grown by more than 7 percent in the second quarter, and an invasive Asian bee has reached the Šumava. Plus: Czech castles are opening their doors for free, but watch out for fake tickets. Good morning, here's your Sunday headline mix.

President Petr Pavel and Prime Minister Andrej Babiš have agreed to resume meetings to coordinate foreign policy and other matters. Babiš said Sunday that the two will meet as needed, following tensions over Pavel’s participation in the NATO summit in Ankara.

Political relations: The president said he does not view Babiš as an opponent and is ready to work with him despite policy differences. Pavel still has no plans to withdraw his constitutional lawsuit over presidential powers, saying he will wait for the Constitutional Court to rule.

ANO remains the strongest party in Kantar’s latest parliamentary voting poll for Czech Television, with 30.5 percent support, though it has lost one percentage point since May. STAN climbed to 17 percent, gaining 1.5 points, with analysts saying it is attracting disappointed ANO voters over unfulfilled campaign promises and the party’s communication style.

Who else: ODS ranks third at 15.5 percent, followed by the Pirates at 8.5 percent, SPD at 6.5 percent and Motorists at exactly 5 percent. Estimated turnout stands at 62.5 percent.

Police are investigating a mass brawl involving nearly 100 football fans in central Brno before Saturday’s first-league match between Zbrojovka Brno and FC Zlín. Most participants were identified at the scene, with no injuries or property damage reported. Some 135 police officers and 23 municipal officers were deployed for the game, which Brno won 3-2.

What we know: The match itself was largely peaceful, though Zlín supporters used pyrotechnics and a smoke bomb during the first half. Police are reviewing camera footage and seeking witnesses.

Prague will host Czechia’s largest mushroom festival next weekend, bringing fungi into the city center with art, music, film and lectures. Czech Fungi Fest will take place Sept. 5-6 at Kampus Hybernská, featuring work by around 30 artists, a UV-lit mushroom room, a mycology exhibition and mushroom-themed workshops.

What to expect: The program includes talks on European porcini, fungi and insects, and psychedelic mushrooms, along with a screening of the documentary Mykokosmos. The festival will also feature a giant mushroom basket listed in the Czech Book of Records.

Czechia supports a push for EU-backed migrant return centers outside the bloc, following renewed debate after a major migration surge in Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta. The centers would house migrants whose return to their home countries has already been ordered, with Italy already testing the model in Albania.

What’s next: Czech and other EU officials will discuss where and how such centers could operate, though Italy’s experience has highlighted legal challenges and criticism from human rights groups.

Czech wages likely continued their rapid growth in the second quarter, with analysts expecting average nominal pay to rise by slightly more than 7 percent year-on-year. That would be a modest slowdown from the 8.1 percent increase recorded in the first quarter, while low inflation means real wages likely rose by around 5 percent.

Continued growth: The average wage was CZK 50,282 in Q1, up 6.4 percent in real terms. Analysts expect wage growth to gradually slow as the effects of past inflation fade, though a tight labor market should continue to support pay increases. The Czech Statistical Office will publish official Q2 figures Thursday.

Scientists from the University of South Bohemia have discovered an invasive Asian bee species in the Šumava region, marking the first known occurrence of the large solitary bee at such a high elevation in Czechia. The velvet carpenter bee, which can grow to 2.5 centimeters, was previously recorded in the country only in South Moravia.

Spreading into Czechia: The species arrived in Europe around the turn of the century and was first recorded in Czechia in 2025. Researchers suspect this year’s extreme heat may have helped it spread north and into the Šumava foothills, though its potential impact on native pollinators remains unclear.

Jaromír Jágr’s remarkable 2015-16 NHL season ranks among the best ever by a player over 41, according to a Sportsnet list. Jágr placed fourth after leading the Florida Panthers in scoring at age 43, recording 66 points and 27 goals in 79 games as the team reached the playoffs. One other Czech legend also made the list, with goalie Dominik Hašek ranking sixth.

Czech legend: The ranking was compiled ahead of Alexander Ovechkin’s 41st birthday and highlights 11 standout seasons by players in their 40s.

Most state-run castles and chateaus across Czechia will offer free tours on Sunday, Aug. 30, but online listings are advertising tickets for sites where admission is supposed to be free. The National Heritage Institute says visitors should check the official conditions, as free admission applies only to selected tours and reservations are required at some locations.

What to know: Fake listings have appeared for Křivoklát, Valtice and Veltrusy, but police say they have not received reports of related scams. Another day of free tours is planned for Sept. 27.