Czech news in brief for October 30: Thursday's top afternoon headlines

All 108 MPs of the incoming Czech government coalition will sign an addendum to commit to electing SPD leader Tomio Okamura as speaker of the lower house soon. The constituent session begins in the middle of next week, with MPs voting on new leadership on Wednesday. ANO and SPD deputies confirmed that the coalition agreement will need to include this. According to the ideas of the emerging government coalition, the lower house should have four deputy speakers, two fewer than it currently has.

The Czech Health Ministry will receive 125,000 hepatitis A vaccines in the next five weeks, including 20,000 this week, to address growing demand. Infections have tripled compared with last year, and nearly 150,000 people have been vaccinated in 2025. Health Minister Vlastimil Válek credited a coordinated effort with all health authorities, pharmacists, and distributors for securing over 200,000 doses to meet urgent needs. The virus has killed 11 people in Prague this year.

Czech police are prosecuting six people for tax and insurance evasion when employing foreigners, estimating damage at over CZK 206 million. The suspects hired nationals mainly from Ukraine, Moldova, and Romania without paying proper contributions. Investigations began in 2021 and now include additional accused and CZK 120 million in seized assets. Guilty parties face five to 10 years in prison.

The skeletal remains of Lucy and Selam, 3.2-million-year-old human ancestors, returned to Ethiopia after a two-month exhibition at Prague’s National Museum drew 210,500 visitors. The fossils, loaned by the Ethiopian National Museum, were the first time displayed in Europe. Time-slot tickets and extended hours were introduced to accommodate high public interest in these key pieces of human evolution.

The Czech Supreme Administrative Court ruled that eDoklady outages during election weekend probably had a negligible effect on results. A voter complaint citing app failures was dismissed, with the court noting that affected voters likely used physical ID cards instead. While the system’s preparation was questioned, no evidence showed a legal violation that could have altered the election outcome.

Czech public attitude is a real mix right now; well-manifested by a protest against the far-right Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) party last night. We'd still like to find out how you feel about current developents, with the SPD's leader set to hold a very prominent role in parliament.