Czech news in brief for July 1: Wednesday's top afternoon headlines

The lower house of the Czech Parliament today approved new rules to restrict the president's authority and abolished its power to appoint the heads of Czech permanent missions to international organizations (like NATO, the UN, the EU, UNESCO and others). Those will now be appointed and dismissed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, according to the bill that must now be examined by the Senate.

A vengeful move? "It is very dangerous and only points to the pettiness and vindictiveness of the ruling coalition," criticized former Prime Minister Petr Fiala. The government has described it as a logical step and minor adjustment, but many see this as the latest escalation in the dispute between President Pavel and Babiš's government.

The Foreign Police's special unit is being deployed at Prague's Vaclav Havel International Airport from today to beef up security and strengthen police presence in and around the hub. Dozens of highly-trained officers will be patrolling around the clock, protecting special-interest flights and monitoring people's movement to continuously assess potential risks, the Foreign Police said in a statement.

Elite police unit. This is a new police unit for which recruits and officers have spent two years training. It is the third special police unit of its kind, with the other two involved in the protection of Czechia's two nuclear power plants in Dukovany, southern Moravia, and Temelin, southern Bohemia.

In related news, Prague police said they were boosting police presence in some of the city's busiest tourist areas for the summer holidays, including around Wenceslas Square, Old Town Square and the main train station.

Czechs citizens appear for most parts dissatisfied with both the government and the opposition's performance, according to a new STEM agency survey. Compared to January, the share of those saying they're "very satisfied" with how the government is running the country was halved to just six percent today, while the overall rate of dissatisfied voters now exceeds those happy with the ruling coalition by 12 percentage points.

Opposition in trouble. But that doesn't mean opposition parties are taking advantage of the situation. Close to half of the Czech population is dissatisfied with the current parliamentary opposition, and about a third are simply neutral about it - leaving less than 20 percent giving them a positive rating.

The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF) will open on Friday evening with a show involving 1,300 drones, head of production Petr Lintimer announced today. Among other novelties planned for the festival's 60th anniversary is the extension of the red carpet going up the Thermal Hotel to provide more space for photographers and the public - at least those who have the appropriate tickets.

KVIFF 2026. More than 130 feature films will be screened at this year's KVIFF, running between July 3-11 at the Western Bohemian spa town. Dustin Hoffman, Maggie Gyllenhall, Harvey Keitel and Juliette Binoche have already been announced as some of this edition's guest stars about to walk up the red carpet.

Proud dog owners across the country now have an obligation to register their pet in a new central registry, according to rules that came into effect today. Registration doesn't have to be made today, however, but ideally during the dog's next visit to the veterinarian.

How does it work? "For owners, this only means that during the next visit [to the vet] they will fill out a short questionnaire. It is a one-time thing that remains valid for the dog's entire life," explained veterinarian Kristýna Šrámková.