Czech news in brief for November 19: Wednesday's top afternoon headlines

President Petr Pavel reaffirmed the Czech Republic’s support for Albania’s bid to join the EU by 2030 after meeting Albanian President Bajram Begaj. Pavel praised Albania’s condemnation of Russian aggression in Ukraine and highlighted growing cooperation between the countries in education, tourism, and trade. Czech tourist numbers in Albania have multiplied, and investment opportunities, including in defense, are expanding.

Czech health authorities have recorded 2,597 hepatitis A cases this year through Nov. 16, four times more than last year and the highest incidence since 1989, the State Health Institute (SZÚ) said. Since September, over 100 new weekly cases have been reported. Most patients are in Prague (1,108 cases). Twenty-nine people have died, mostly men, often homeless, drug users, or alcoholics. Hospitals have treated more than 2,000 patients in infectious wards.

A survey by the NMS agency for Czech Radio shows three-quarters of Czechs want ANO leader and likely future Prime Minister Andrej Babiš to publicly explain how he will avoid conflicts of interest from his Agrofert holdings before taking office. Around 76 percent support the conflict of interest law. President Petr Pavel said Babiš must clarify the issue before the appointment, and 58 percent of respondents agree the appointment could be postponed if he does not.

Main ski resorts in the Hradec Králové Region began producing artificial snow this week. Skiing could start on Černá hora in the Krkonoše Mountains on Nov. 28, and in other resorts in early Dec. Resorts in Deštné, Říčky, and Orlické Záhoří, as well as Špindlerův Mlýn, are also making snow. New accumulation tanks and snow cannons will expand slopes. Špindlerův Mlýn aims to officially open the season on Dec. 13, weather permitting, with priority on key blue and red slopes.

Leaders of the coalition parties ANO, SPD, and the Motorists signed a proposal to freeze politicians’ salaries at this year’s level, SPD leader and Chamber Speaker Tomio Okamura said. The bill, to be submitted to the Chamber of Deputies on Thursday, would halt scheduled increases from Jan. 1, 2026, which would otherwise raise MPs’ basic pay by 5 percent next year. Judges and prosecutors’ salaries are set to rise by more than 13 percent under the current budget plan.

Andrej Babiš is embroiled in a long-standing conflict-of-interest controversy that has taken the spotlight in Czech news. The core issue is Babiš’ ownership of the Agrofert holding, a network of some 250 companies engaged in government contracts and that receive EU subsidies.