Czech news in brief for June 12: Friday's top morning headlines

It's a one step forward, one step back week for Czechia. Earlier this month, the country elected 34-year-old Barbora Urbanová as a Deputy President of the Chamber of Deputies, making her one of the youngest parliament leaders in the nation's history. Now, a disturbing new study by the Forum 50% organization reveals that 80 percent of surveyed female Czech legislators have faced psychological violence inside that very same Chamber of Deputies.

On a more optimistic note, a new poll clarifies what it is Czechs really fear about migrants. A lot to think about over your coffee. Here's your morning headline mix.

Czechia and Italy are rapidly expanding their bilateral defense relationship through new ammunition supply agreements. Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto confirmed that the Italian army is currently testing special anti-drone ammunition that disperses tungsten pellets upon firing. The weaponry is manufactured by the local Fiocchi arms factory, which was acquired by billionaire Michal Strnad's CSG holding last year.

The bigger picture: The deal marks a broader acceleration in Czech arms exports, with other European nations currently finalizing large-scale procurement contracts with domestic manufacturers.

Foreign Minister Petr Macinka told Bloomberg that Czechia will block European Union attempts to sanction Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir. Macinka called Ben Gvir an unbearable individual but argued that Brussels targeting him would turn him into a hero before the October elections. European Union ambassadors are scheduled to debate the proposed sanctions text multiple times ahead of next week's summit.

The catch: While Spain, Slovenia, and Ireland support the punitive measures against the far-right ministers, Germany and Hungary have joined Czechia in criticizing the diplomatic plan.

A survey of 41 female members of the Chamber of Deputies has exposed systemic psychological and sexualized violence within Czech politics. Younger female legislators face highly personal attacks regarding their appearance and competence, with some mocking them in the plenary and insulting them in the corridors. The fear of hate attacks has forced a fifth of those surveyed to limit their public appearances, social media activity, and media interviews.

Worth noting: More than a quarter of the targeted female politicians contacted the police regarding threats of violence, while nearly two-thirds reported property damage and economic attacks.

Dozens of football fans packed into Prague's U Zábranských restaurant at 4 a.m. to watch the Czech national team lose its opening World Cup match to South Korea. Guests paid a CZK 300 entry fee for early morning beers and a buffet before the initial Czech scoring celebration turned to disappointment. Establishments across the capital opened outside normal hours to accommodate the live broadcasts from the tournament hosts in North America.

What to expect: Venues plan to open one hour before the next broadcast on June 18 at 6 p.m. when the national team faces South Africa, followed by a 3 a.m. start against Mexico on June 25.

The Czech traffic police and road safety experts have launched the Travel Safely with Children campaign after uncovering widespread mistakes in child transportation. National law dictates that every child under 36 kilograms and below 150 centimeters must use a dedicated car seat (see full rules here in Czech). Parents caught violating these child restraint rules face an on-the-spot fine between CZK 1,500 and CZK 2,000 along with four penalty points.

By the numbers: Between 2016 and 2025, Czechia recorded 39,012 traffic accidents involving child passengers under the age of 14, highlighting the broad safety context currently dominating state defense and security campaigns.

All hail summer weather An intense hailstorm west of České Budějovice blanketed roads in several centimetres of ice on Thursday afternoon. The heavy accumulation transformed the South Bohemian landscape into a white scenery resembling winter.

Czechs don't fear you, just love their own ways New research from the Solvo Institute finds Czech wariness of migration is rooted in cultural anxiety rather than race. Respondents said they welcome people who adapt to local norms, pointing to the Vietnamese community as a positive example, but expressed concern that some groups would "enforce their own rules" rather than respect Czech customs.

Prague's late-night gallery crawl is here Nearly 60 museums, galleries and cultural institutions open their doors until midnight this Saturday; many for free or at reduced admission, including spaces not usually accessible to the public in the evenings. The hub is Prague Museum; full listings at prazskamuzejninoc.cz.