Czech news in brief for May 21: Thursday's top afternoon headlines

Good day to all, Prague is making the rounds of foreign and international media as the city hosts this year’s GLOBSEC security conference, with world leaders, experts and journalists from all around the globe in attendance. The forum lasts until Saturday, so expect some high-level hobnobbing in and around the Hilton Hotel for the next couple of days. Now, for today’s top news.

Speaking at the GLOBSEC security conference now underway at Prague’s Hilton Hotel, President Petr Pavel warned that he was ready to turn to the Constitutional Court if the government tried to limit his constitutional powers by keeping him from attending the upcoming NATO summit in Turkey, in July.

The wider context. The president and government have clashed in recent months over who should represent the Czech Republic in Ankara, and Prime Minister Andrej Babiš yesterday said a decision will be made on June 8.

Why it matters. It’s not just a battle of egos. The president and government have clear differences on foreign and defense policy. In the current geopolitical context, it matters who speaks for Czechia. How the dispute is resolved will also say a lot about whether the president and government can work together in (relative) good understanding or not.

The Czech economy should grow by 1.8 percent this year, down from 2.6 percent last year, according to the European Commission’s updated growth forecast. EU-wide, GDP is now expected to grow by just 1.1 percent in 2026.

The culprit? The war in the Middle East, and uncertainty about the future timeline, is causing a new energy shock, boosting up inflation again and undermining consumption and investment, according to the EU Commission's report.

Careful where you venture. The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute warned that tick activity will reach the highest of five levels across most of the country this weekend as temperatures rise to near-tropical levels.

Caution advised. Ticks thrive in warm and humid temperatures, and recent days’ rainfall proves ideal for them. Plan a “careful body inspection” if returning from nature, parks or forests this weekend, experts warn.

An elderly woman fell onto the track between two carriages after accidentally bumping into a man on the platform of Smíchovské nádraží station. She was saved after a woman quickly activated the emergency button and passersby pulled her back up.

Quick thinking. The incident occurred last week, but police released the video today to remind of the existence of those emergency buttons, present at every station to ensure trains will either stop or stay put.