Czech news in brief for June 17: Wednesday's top afternoon headlines

The ruling ANO party's candidate for Prague mayor Ondřej Prokop failed to properly declare his ownership of three appartments, Seznam Zpravy reported, and only added them to the mandatory asset declaration after journalists confronted him. Local media also recently reported that Prokop had refused to testify as a witness in the massive Motol Hospital corruption case - a summon linked to his purchase of a CZK 19.5 million-apartment in Prague's Břevnov district.

Bad optics. The municipal election campaign and Prague mayoral race are slowly heating up ahead of the upcoming vote on October 9-10. In Prague, where housing affordability is bound to be one of the defining topics, candidates are already lining up and sharpening their claws.

Bye bye Prokop? Meanwhile, Seznam Zpravy also reports that Prime Minister Andrej Babiš might be considering replacing Prokop with his current Health Minister Adam Vojtěch to be ANO's candidate for Prague city hall.

The government is planning to tighten rules for the sale of kratom, PM Babiš said today, including by banning its sale on the internet, rising the minimum age for purchase from 18 to 21, increasing its VAT rate and introducing an additional excise tax on the plant-based psychoactive substance.

Kratom crackdown. Kratom and its extracts have been legally available under some conditions to adults since November, but is most often used by people aged between 15 and 24, according to official data.

According to a new extensive research by Czech Radio and the Center for Public Opinion Research, about two in three Czechs agree that people can express themselves freely in the Czech Republic, and a majority also believes that freedom of speech can be restricted in some cases, including in the interests of national security or to limit hate speech.

Three groups. Researchers identified about main groups. The first (57 percent of people) says that Czechia has free speech and thinks it should have some limits in some cases. The second group (25 percent) agrees that freedom of expression is guaranteed here but thinks there shouldn't be any restrictions whatsoever. The third (12 percent) feels their opinions are being suppressed and believes free speech should be absolute.

After an extensive reconstruction started back in early 2024 and costing in the end close to half a billion Czech crowns, the Jiřího z Poděbrad square officially reopened to the public today amid close public scrutiny and anxious anticipation from locals. New paving was installed, trees were planted, the fountain was reconstructed and the children's playground was expanded, among other changes.

Mixed reviews. A whole-day celebration with musical performances is underway to mark the event. But even before the unveiling, early pictures of the new square circulated on social media, sparking a backlash among some Prague residents unhappy with the result and cost of the renovation.

The tunnel connecting Karlín and Žižkov and used by hundreds, if not thousands of people every day, will no longer be just a passageway. The Prague City Council gave its green-light to a new project aiming to turn part of the tunnel into an open-air (sort of) contemporary art gallery exhibiting works by Czech and international visual artists - from murals and mosaics to video, light or sound installations.

Culture and convenience. Officials assured that the primary and basic function of the tunnel will be maintained, and that the exit spots in both Žižkov and Karlín may start hosting additional cultural and community events.