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Summary for: Czech news in brief for March 26: Thursday's top morning headlines
President: Up to voters to assess government
President: Up to voters to assess government
"As president, I do not want to judge the government's activities or the steps it's taken, that is primarily up to the voters," Czech President Petr Pavel said as on the 100-day milestone of the new ruling coalition. Officially appointed by Pavel in mid-December last year, the three-party government has been complete only since late February, when Igor Červený (Motorists) became Environment Minister.
National Gallery to get new boss in September
The National Gallery Prague should get a new director in September, Culture Minister Oto Klempíř (Motorists) said just days after he abruptly sacked its previous boos, Polish musicologist Alicja Knast. Czechia's prestigious art institution is for now temporarily led by Olga Kotková. who said she only took over based on the promise of increased funding from the culture ministry for new exhibitions.
Low birth rate impacts children's goods market
Czechia's declining birth rate is already having a negative impact on the children's goods market, manufacturers said at the ProDítě fair in Brno, warning that a growing number of stores specializing in children's supplies are forced to close down. The Czech Republic has seen its birth rate plummet in just a few years, with annual live births dropping from over 110,000 in 2021 to about 77,000 last year.
Prague launches new Dan Brown guided tours
Prague City Tourism is launching new guided tours inspired by Dan Brown's latest Prague-set novel, The Secret of Secrets, the organization announced in a press release. While guides already bring tourists in the footsteps of Robert Langdon in the city center, new tours from April will also take them to the Folimanka bunker or the U Božích muk bastion, where part of the novel is set.
32 charged in major football corruption scandal
Police have now charged 32 people suspected to have been involved in one of the biggest sports betting and corruption scandal in Czech football history. Suspects include the mayor of Karviná Jan Wolf, accused of offering bribes to referees and players to fix games of his home city. The Czech Football Association also initiated disciplinary proceedings against six teams in connection with the case.
