Czech news in brief for June 16: Tuesday's top afternoon headlines

Good afternoon, a demonstration is scheduled in Prague tomorrow to protest against a new bill that activists say will considerably restrict transgender people's rights. This follows a 2025 constitutional ruling that left something of a legal vacuum in Czechia. Here are the news driving the day.

A group of 12 senators from the opposition right-wing ODS, TOP 09 and KDU-ČSL parties seeks to tighten rules and strengthen requirements to undergo a gender reassignment process in Czechia. The reform would require applicants for gender reassignment to appear before a court in the presence of a psychiatrist and sexologist, or undergo a two-year assessment period, and would raise the age limit for gender reassignment surgery from 18 to 21, among other measures.

Protest in Prague tomorrow. Transgender rights activists and opponents to the reform, which should be discussed in its first reading on Wednesday, have called for a protest to be held tomorrow on Prague's Palackého náměstí between 5-7 pm.

More than 70 percent of people in the Czech Republic use addictive substances, according to the annual report published today by the National Monitoring Center for Drugs and Addiction (NMS). Close to half of the population is considered at risk of addiction, with about one million experiencing problems with drug abuse or excessive alcohol consumption, and over 1.5 million smoking cigarettes on a daily or near-daily basis.

In related news, Czechia's largest health insurance company VZP said it spent more than CZK 1.6 billion last year on addiction treatment - twice as much as ten years ago. The new data comes as the government is unveiling a string of new measures to combat addiction and drug use.

A new survey highlights the Czech population's somewhat contradictory stance on the recruitment of foreign workers. According to a STEM/MARK agency poll, labor shortages are seen as a serious problem by three-quarters of Czechs, more than half of them think the situation will deteriorate in the coming years, and over 60 percent believe the Czech economy and labor market cannot do without foreign workers.

At the same time, less than 20 percent of those surveyed are in favor of policies designed to actively recruit foreigners, and a majority are concerned about their impact on wages, housing and healthcare.

More than 80,000 unique visitors attended this year's edition of the Rock for People festival which took place in Hradec Králové last week, a record level in the event's 31-year-history. In total, 235,000 entrances were registered throughout five days of festival despite the rainy weather, organizers announced today.

Metronome Prague takes over. Festival season has undoubtedly started, with the beloved Metronome Prague festival being held this week in the capital from Friday to Sunday, with world-class acts including Sting, Tom Odell and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.

The founder and director of the Prague Fringe festival Steve Gove has been awarded an MBE by King Charles III as a recognition of his contribution to Czech-British cultural ties. Founded in the early 2000s, Prague Fringe has become one of the city's main English-friendly festivals of comedy, drama and performance arts, in particular showcasing small and lesser-known venues in Mala Strana.

What is an MBE? An acronym for "Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire", an MBE is a prestigious British royal honor, with GBE ("Knight or Dame Grand Cross of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire") being the highest in this category.