Czech news in brief for June 30: Tuesday's top afternoon headlines

President Petr Pavel appointed Miroslav Hlaváč as the new Chief of the General Staff - the Czech army's top post - in a ceremony at the Prague Castle this morning. Officially replacing his predecessor Karel Řehka starting tomorrow, Hlaváč symbolically took over leadership of the army earlier today at a ceremonial inauguration at Vítkov.

Why it matters. In the current geopolitical context, the post may be one of the most sensitive and high-profile positions around. As Chief of the General Staff, Hlaváč will be on the frontline of some of the most pressing issues facing Czechia's defense policy and security posture - from efforts to hire thousands additional soldiers in the next few years to navigating growing tensions between the president and the government.

Czechia's gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 2.2 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026, according to the updated estimate of the Czech statistical office. Compared to a growth of 2.8 percent in the last three months of last year, this indicates a relative slow-down, although economists highlighted the "strong domestic foundations" of the Czech economy and its "resilience in the current environment of increased geopolitical uncertainty."

The head of Czechia's far-right PRO party Jindřich Rajchl called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to be stripped of the Order of the White Lion - the highest Czech state decoration he received back in 2022. "We cannot remain silent when our highest state order is held by a person who names military units after Nazi monsters," Rajchl told reporters, vowing to bring up the issue with his coalition partners.

The wider context. This comes as Poland stripped Zelensky of its own state honor - the Order of the White Eagle - after Kyiv named a military unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA). Many in Ukraine see the UPA as heroes who fought against both the Nazi and Soviet armies, but Poland accuses the unit of carrying out a genocide of ethnic Poles during World War II.

The head coach of the Czech national football team Miroslav Koubek resigned just days after the squad's elimination from the 2026 World Cup. "A media campaign based on a number of half-truths and fabrications against me also contributed to my decision," he said in a statement while also accepting part of the blame for Czechia's failure in North America.

Short tenure. 74-year-old Koubek took over as head coach just six months ago on a two-year contract, steering the Czech national team to their first World Cup qualification in two decades.

Drivers should expect big traffic jams from tomorrow as Kbelská street, a key transit path connecting the D8 and D10 highways north-east of Prague, partially closes for repairs. Traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction on a 3.9-kilometer section for about a month and a half, transport authorities notified. Some public transport routes in the area will also need to be adjusted.