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Summary for: Czech news in brief for November 4: Tuesday's top afternoon headlines
Police charge 13 in major VZP corruption case
crime VZP remains guilty party as 13 charged on corruption terms
Police have charged 13 people in a corruption and procurement scandal involving Czechia’s largest health insurer, VZP. The accused face charges including bribery, tax evasion, and money laundering. No companies have been charged, but those involved reportedly include VZP employees and IT suppliers. The National Center for Organized Crime led Monday’s raids, with VZP named as the injured party in the case.
PARTNER ARTICLE
politics German media say new coalition will be skeptical of EU, NATO
German outlets report that incoming Prime Minister Andrej Babiš has formed a governing coalition with the SPD and Motorists parties—both on the far right. The new alliance is expected to be critical of the EU, NATO, and aid to Ukraine, and oppose the euro and Green Deal. German media describe the coalition as “right-wing populist” and “hostile to Brussels,” with President Petr Pavel now tasked with confirming the government.
welfare Thousands rush to apply for Czechia’s new ‘super benefit’
More than 200,000 people applied for the government’s new super benefit in October, replacing four existing social allowances. About 40 percent of applications were filed online, though seniors and those without digital access report difficulties. Labor offices have extended hours to handle demand. The benefit will begin paying out from May 2026, with some recipients set to receive more support, and others less.
transport Metro Line C halted after fatal incident in Prague
A man died after being struck by a metro train at Nádraží Holešovice station on Tuesday, halting red Line C service between Ládví and Florenc for over two hours. Police believe the incident was a suicide. Replacement buses operated while metro traffic was suspended. Service resumed shortly after 1 p.m., just hours after a separate outage on Line B caused by a power failure earlier in the morning.
culture Prague Spring festival shows Korean influence, spotlights youth
The 81st Prague Spring Festival will feature contemporary music projects Prague Offspring and SpringTEEN, spotlighting young listeners. Korean composer Chin Un-sok, known for blending Eastern and Western styles and winning the Grawemeyer Prize, will serve as resident composer. Events take place May 29–30 at DOX Center and Agnes Monastery.
📊 POLL OF THE DAY
The majority party of Czechia's incoming government claims it will build 10,000 new apartments yearly to deal with Prague's housing crisis.
