Czech news in brief for February 18: Tuesday's top headlines

Train and air travel are growing in popularity in the Czech Republic, while long-distance bus use is declining, according to preliminary data from the Ministry of Transport. In the first three quarters of 2024, train ridership rose 5 percent to 142 million passengers, while air travel increased by 20 percent to 4.4 million. Meanwhile, long-distance bus use fell by 3 percent, reflecting shifting travel preferences in the country. Analysts say that, due to rising work-from-home trends, domestic transport will likely never catch up with pre-Covid-2021 levels.

Czechia and Slovakia will soon finalize an agreement on rapid cross-border medical assistance, Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanář announced today after meeting Czech counterpart Jan Lipavský in Prague. The deal follows Slovakia’s similar arrangement with Austria. The ministers also discussed trade, security, and migration. Despite past tensions, both nations aim to strengthen cooperation, with a Slovak-Czech forum planned for mid-year and a trilateral summit set for March 5.

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský expressed caution today about sending troops to Ukraine, citing uncertainty about a possible peace settlement. After a meeting with his Slovak counterpart Juraj Blanář in Prague, Lipavský emphasized military, political and humanitarian aid, but refrained from speculating about the deployment of soldiers. Slovakia reaffirmed its position against sending troops. European leaders remain divided after Monday's Paris summit on security guarantees for Ukraine.

The Czech Motorists party will contest the autumn general election without alliances, aiming for a role in the next government, chairman Petr Macinka announced Monday. The party opposes the ruling Mayors and Independents and plans to unveil its platform by mid-May. With rising membership and growing financial support, Motorists are polling near the 5 percent threshold needed to enter parliament.

Czech Chamber of Deputies Speaker Markéta Pekarová Adamová will not seek re-election in the autumn parliamentary elections, citing health issues, she told the TOP 09 party board Monday. Despite offering to step down as party leader, board members unanimously backed her to remain until the November congress. Pekarová Adamová, who remains lower house speaker, said her health prevents her from handling a campaign.

Temperatures in the Czech Republic plummeted overnight, with the Horní Jizera station in Jizerka recording -30.2°C early Tuesday, the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute reported. Northern Bohemia saw lows of -9°C to -16°C due to clear skies, while cloudier areas stayed milder. Severe frosts are expected to continue until Thursday before temperatures rise later in the week.

The Czech government spent a record CZK 20.3 billion on housing benefits in 2024, with 285,900 households receiving support in December, the Labor Ministry reported. Rising living costs and streamlined applications drove the increase. A welfare reform set for July will merge housing, subsistence, and child benefits into a single allowance, but experts warn it may negatively impact vulnerable groups.

More than 20 percent of outpatient specialists in Czechia have wait times of at least three months for new patients, with child psychiatry, speech therapy, and nephrology most affected, a survey found. The Association of Outpatient Specialists, called such a wait period unacceptable, warning that delays risk serious health issues and calling for incentives for young doctors to ease shortages with 43 percent of outpatient specialists of retirement age.

Smíchovské nádraží will be renamed Nádraží Smíchov as part of a major transport terminal project, Prague councilors decided. The new terminal, costing CZK 8 billion, will integrate trains, metro, buses, and trams. Construction is set to begin next year, alongside a CZK 5.1 billion railway station modernization. The name change aims to ensure clarity for passengers.

A bear attacked a family near Partizánska Ľupča on Saturday, injuring the mother as she protected her children, Slovak media reported. The father scared the bear away, but it returned, attacking the mother and younger daughter. Officials later found a nearby bear den and urged caution in the area. Last June, in response to repeated bear-human encounters, the Slovak Parliament approved an exemption to bear protection laws.