Czech news in brief for July 5: Sunday's top morning headlines

Ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara on July 7–8, President Petr Pavel told a Turkish newspaper that Europe must take greater responsibility for its own defense and security, since it can no longer assume others will carry that burden. He added that continued support for Ukraine remains strategically essential to European security, and said he wants to see concrete progress on defense investment, a stronger European defense industry, and fixes to gaps in air and missile defense and military mobility.

Who's leading the delegation: Pavel only secured his seat at this summit through a Constitutional Court injunction, after the Babiš government initially left him off the list entirely. The government maintains the prime minister will lead the delegation; Pavel says protocol puts the president at its head but the issue isn't settled yet.

The Czech Bishops' Conference and the Ecumenical Council of Churches used the Days of People of Good Will pilgrimage in Velehrad to call for greater dialogue and reconciliation amid growing social polarization. Roughly 20,000 people attended the first day of the two-day Cyril and Methodius celebration, which draws tens of thousands of visitors annually and culminates Sunday with a pilgrimage mass.

Money behind the message: A benefit concert held alongside the prayer service raised CZK 730,000 for charity through SMS donations, up from CZK 628,000 last year, with proceeds supporting causes including a foundation for students from disadvantaged families and a charity serving seriously ill children and adults with limited mobility.

A 57-person Czech USAR team and eight service dogs flew home this morning aboard a military Airbus A319 after a week searching earthquake rubble in Venezuela's La Guaira state, including a collapsed hospital and hotel. By the final days, the team was confirming there were no more survivors to find rather than pulling anyone out alive.

The toll they were working against: Almost three thousand deaths have been confirmed across Venezuela and tens of thousands remain missing. By the end, the team's role was less about rescue and more about giving local crews and grieving families a certainty they couldn't reach on their own.

Government estimates point to a CZK 2,500 increase in the minimum wage next year, bringing it to CZK 24,900, with a further rise to CZK 26,900 projected for 2028. The figures come from documents prepared for a government regulation on wage coefficients, which still needs to be discussed by the tripartite before taking effect.

Still near the bottom in Europe: Even with the increase, Czechia's minimum wage would remain among the weakest in the EU by purchasing power, trailing every member state except Latvia and Estonia. An EU directive recommends a floor closer to 50–60 percent of the average wage; Czechia's proposed rate works out to 44.6 percent.

Summer train travel out of Czechia is trending toward the coasts this year, with Czech Railways reporting rising demand for its Baltic Express service to Gdańsk, Sopot, and Gdynia, and a new night-train connection to Koper, Slovenia, supplementing the existing Adriatic Express to Rijeka. A one-way seat to Gdynia runs from CZK 900 in August; a couchette costs around CZK 1,500.

Book early if going private: RegioJet and Leo Express both report a strong summer on routes to Hungary, Slovakia, and Poland, with tickets to Budapest or Poprad still available from around CZK 400 one-way if bought now; that window tends to close fast in July.

Alcohol checks return to the water. Police are back out on rivers and reservoirs this summer checking boaters for alcohol, with fines that can reach CZK 100,000. Officers say violations have dropped significantly in recent years.

A new discount chain is coming. Malaysian retail giant MR. DIY will open its first Czech store in Ostrava's Forum Nová Karolina this summer, with four to five locations planned this year and at least ten more in 2027.

Uber Eats cancels Czech relaunch. Uber has paused most of its planned European expansion of Uber Eats, including its planned relaunch in Czechia, to focus on strengthening its existing markets and pursuing its takeover of Germany's Delivery Hero. The company said the decision followed strong launches in Finland and Denmark, while its planned rollout in five of the seven new countries has been suspended.