Czech news in brief for July 3: Thursday's top headlines

The Czech crown strengthened to CZK 24.63:EUR 1 Thursday, its highest close in over a year, and held below CZK 21:USD 1 for the second day in a row. Analysts link the gains to Czech National Bank Governor Aleš Michl’s comments on stable rates. The Prague Stock Exchange rose 0.53 percent to 2,165.2 points, led by Komerční banka shares, which jumped 2.75 percent to CZK 1,047. ČEZ gained 0.33 percent, while Erste Bank edged up 0.06 percent to CZK 1,771.50.

A strike by French air traffic controllers has canceled hundreds of flights and disrupted connections to and from Czechia, including Prague. Paris airports cut operations by 25 percent on Thursday, while Nice and Bastia canceled up to half of their flights. Ryanair dropped 170 flights to France amid the walkout, led by UNSA-ICNA and Usac-CGT unions demanding better working conditions. The strike coincides with the start of school holidays. More disruptions are expected Friday as Paris airports plan further reductions.

The Czech Defense Ministry has signed a CZK 4.1 billion contract with the security-focused Czechoslovak Group to deliver 24 Titus armored vehicles by November 2027. The deal includes 22 command-staff versions and two basic models for training. Each vehicle costs about CZK 137 million. The army, already operating Titus vehicles since 2019, negotiated a CZK 170 million discount on the new order, the ministry said Thursday. According to the Defense Ministry, the new vehicles have been modified and equipped based on experience from the war in Ukraine. 

Czech travel agencies evacuated several dozen clients from Crete’s Ierapetra area after a wildfire broke out Wednesday, forcing 3,000 residents to flee. Around 200 tourists from DER Touristik CZ were moved to alternative hotels. Hundreds of Czechs remain on the island, with some relocated or offered refunds. Firefighters and aircraft battle the blaze amid strong winds. Czech officials say no tourists have requested help, and authorities monitor the situation for further evacuations.

About 5 percent of Czech residents lacked registration with a general practitioner in 2024, the Health Ministry said Thursday. Data show 449,000 adults and 34,000 children were unregistered, though some still received care. Of unregistered adults, 41,000 reportedly had no medical visits. Many are foreign residents or Ukrainians with protection status. The General Practitioners Association warned earlier that unregistered numbers may approach 1 million in the nation of 10.9 million.

The Czech Republic marked its hottest day of the year Wednesday, with temperatures topping 37 degrees Celsius in several areas, according to the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute. The highest reading, 37.4 degrees Celsius, was recorded in Husinec-Řež near Prague. More than 120 long-running weather stations broke July 2 records. Prague’s historic Klementinum station, in operation for 250 years, reached 37.1 degrees Celsius, surpassing its previous high of 34.5 set in 1905. The heat was most intense in Bohemia.

A U.S. court on Wednesday ordered the Trump administration to pay over USD 13 million (CZK 271 million) to Prague-based Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) for June operations. The ruling marks another interim legal victory for the broadcaster, which has faced funding cuts under President Donald Trump despite congressional approval. RFE/RL had sought a preliminary injunction requiring the U.S. Agency for Global Media to release the funds. CEO Stephen Capus welcomed the decision and expressed readiness for further negotiations.

Czechia recorded one of the lowest unemployment rates in the EU in May, at 2.8 percent, Eurostat reported Wednesday. Only Malta had a lower rate, at 2.7 percent. The EU average remained steady at 5.9 percent, while eurozone unemployment edged up to 6.3 percent. Compared to April, Czechia’s jobless rate rose slightly by 0.1 point. Across the EU, an estimated 13.05 million people were unemployed, including 10.83 million in eurozone countries.

Tropical heat will return to the Czech Republic this weekend, with temperatures reaching up to 31 degrees Celsius on Saturday, forecasters said Thursday. A cold front bringing storms is expected to pass through today, briefly cooling western areas. Another front arriving Sunday will bring cooler, wetter air and drop daytime temperatures to between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius next week, according to the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute. Southern Moravia may see highs up to 36 degrees Celsius before the cooldown.

Former Prague-Řeporyje mayor Pavel Novotný entered Pankrác prison Wednesday to serve a three-month sentence for disorderly conduct, incitement, and dangerous pursuit. He resigned in June and suspended his ODS party membership. His 2022 suspended sentence was changed to prison after repeated offenses during probation. Novotný withdrew an appeal, saying he needed time to prepare. He said prison is hardest on his family and plans to spend his time reading and playing chess.