Czech news in brief for January 12: Monday's top morning headlines

Czechia recorded its coldest morning of the winter on Monday, with temperatures dropping to −12 to −20°C across much of Bohemia and western Moravia and below −30°C in parts of Šumava, where a local record was broken. Meteorologists reported seven temperature records nationwide. Severe frost and snow disrupted rail services, causing canceled and diverted trains, while warmer air and freezing rain are expected later this week. In Prague, passenger trains from Prague’s Radotín to Smíchov station did not depart, and one passenger train was canceled due to a frozen switch in Děčín. Updates from Czech Railways here.

Leaders of the ANO–SPD–Motorists coalition will meet on Monday to discuss MP Filip Turk’s planned lawsuit against President Petr Pavel, who refused to appoint him environment minister, as well as the government’s looming confidence vote. Some SPD deputies are conditioning support on ending the ammunition initiative for Ukraine. Prime Minister Andrej Babiš has ruled out turning to the Constitutional Court, while doubts persist over whether Turk’s legal action can succeed.

Prices of services in Czechia are rising faster than overall inflation at the start of January, Czech Television reports. Higher costs are already evident in the accommodation and hospitality sectors, and customers can also expect increases at hairdressers, beauty salons, and similar services. The rises are driven by higher rents and increased social and health insurance contributions. Despite this, most customers say higher prices are not discouraging them from using established services.

Some 100 people gathered in Prague’s Old Town Square on Sunday to show solidarity with ongoing anti-regime protests in Iran. Demonstrations in Tehran and other cities, sparked by economic grievances in December, have grown into nationwide calls for freedom, with NGOs reporting around 200 deaths and thousands of detentions. Protesters in Prague cited Václav Havel’s quote: “Truth and love must triumph over lies and hatred.”

Monday marks the final day for self-employed Czechs to register for the flat-rate tax regime, change tax bands, or exit, with the next opportunity not coming until a year later. The system, for non-VAT payers earning up to CZK 2 million annually, simplifies tax, health, and social insurance payments. Monthly advances rose this year for the first band to 9,984 CZK, but the government may return contributions to last year’s level.