Czech news in brief for December 2: Tuesday's top afternoon headlines

Slovak Parliament Speaker Richard Raši described today Czech counterpart Tomio Okamura’s visit to Bratislava as a restart of bilateral relations. Okamura met several senior Slovak officials and said both countries share positions on EU issues, including opposition to ETS2, the migration pact and the 2035 combustion-engine ban. Raši stressed unified political attitudes, following tensions created when Prague suspended intergovernmental consultations last year over differing foreign-policy views.

The Prague Planetarium has launched ESA: Earth from Space, an interactive, permanent exhibition marking 17 years of Czech membership in the European Space Agency. Visitors can explore satellite data on climate change, urban growth, vegetation and air quality through digital maps and installations. Previously shown only in a few ESA centres, the exhibit highlights how space-based observations support research and daily life. 

The presidents of the Visegrad Four will meet Wednesday in Esztergom to discuss European competitiveness, innovation and regional challenges, the Czech Presidential Office said. Over lunch, they will address AI use and assess the International Visegrad Fund, whose EUR 11 million (CZK 265 million) budget is shared equally among the four states. Leaders from Czechia, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary will also debate productivity gaps, innovation policy and the ethical and social implications of artificial intelligence.

Around eight percent of Czech children aged 11–15 show problematic use of social media and gaming, officials said at a Prague conference on digital addiction. One-third of 16-year-olds spend over four hours daily on social networks, and researchers estimate one in ten younger teens exhibits addiction-like symptoms. Experts say excessive online activity disrupts daily life. A new portal, digirozhledna.cz, aims to provide parents and professionals with tools for setting healthy digital boundaries.

A disabled pensioner from Žďár was given a three-year suspended sentence for growing cannabis used to relieve pain from Bechterew’s disease. Miloš Jenčík accepted a plea deal including forfeiture of growing equipment. His lawyer sought a quick resolution before new legislation takes effect next year that will reduce penalties for cannabis-related offences. Prosecutors cited his circumstances and health in accepting the agreement. Police found 136 plants and 7.6 kilograms of dried cannabis.

Czechia's current government-formation process is facing scrutiny due to how long it's taking; President Petr Pavel says he wants to vet and check all future ministers, but likely future Prime Minister Andrej Babiš says the president is unfairly slowing things down.