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

Good afternoon, Prague is emptying fast as we head into a three-day weekend with, thankfully, much more pleasant weather than last week.

Meanwhile, the war of the words between President Pavel and Prime Minister Babiš continues, but we've covered this quite enough for now already. Let's unpack the main news driving the day.

Three people as well as Czech Railways - its previous owner - have been charged over the tragic accident that led to the fall of the Ještěd cable car, close to Liberec, in October 2021. They could face up to ten years in prison for public endangerment due to negligence, but have repeatedly denied any guilt in the accident.

What happened in 2021. One of the two Ještěd cable cars fell from a height of about 30 meters after a traction cable broke, killing the conductor - the only one present in the cabin at the time. The conductor of the second cable car immediately activated the emergency brake, very possibly saving the more than a dozen people present in his cabin.

Politicians today voted against an amendment - nicknamed "lex sobriety" - that would require MPs to attend meetings, votes and sessions in the lower house of Parliament in a sober state (whether from alcohol, drugs or other addictive substances). Out of 131 MPs present, just 47 voted in favor of the bill.

Setting an example. Arguments in favor of a bill requiring political representatives not to be inebriated while performing their duties are, most will agree, pretty straightforward. "Let's show people that it's normal not to get drunk," summed up MP Ester Weimerová (STAN).

Nay. Opponents to the reform, on the other hand, described it as a populist measure that would be almost impossible to enforce. It's been something of an open secret - nurtured over decades of little scandals - that drunkenness or other forms of intoxication are not an uncommon sight in the halls of the Czech parliament.

A 40-year-old was arrested after hitting and damaging several statues on the Rudolfinum building, in the center of Prague, with a hammer, Czech police stated. "During questioning, he refused to say why he damaged the statues and refused to testify. We therefore do not know hit motive at this time," a police spokeswoman said.

A long history. Named after Crown Prince Rudolf, son of Emperor Franz Joseph I, the Rudolfinum is a late 19th-century neo-Renaissance cultural monument that today hosts art exhibitions and is home to the Czech Philharmonic.

The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF) officially kicks off today in the Western Bohemian spa town for a whole week of screenings, accolades, debates and red-carpeting. The 60th edition of the famed movie fest starts will a gala evening where 88-year-old, two-time Oscar winner Dustin Hoffman will receive the Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema.

What to watch. More than 130 feature films will be screened throughout the week, from Hoffman's The Graduate to Pramen, a Czech-Slovak-Hungarian co-production on the sterilization of Roma women and one of the most anticipated films of the year. More on the festival's website.

National Gallery Prague announced that the program giving all visitors free admission to its exhibitions every first Sunday of the month has been "temporarily terminated" based on a decision by the Culture Ministry. The measure comes in effect this Sunday.

More context. Meant to boost attendance to some of Prague and Czechia's foremost art galleries, the program - introduced in April - also faced some criticism right from the start over the loss in revenues that the galleries and museums would incur.

In related news, Culture Minister Oto Klempíř today told reporters that the selection process to choose a new director for National Gallery Prague was cancelled, and a new one should soon be launched.