Czech news in brief for September 11: Friday's top morning headlines

Czechia and its Visegrad neighbors are pushing back against cuts to key EU funding, while the government at home wants to scale back unemployment benefits. Elsewhere, passengers escaped a fire aboard a Prague-bound plane in Milan, and rarely opened landmarks across Czechia are welcoming visitors for European Heritage Days. Good morning, here's your Friday headline mix.

The Visegrad Four countries—Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia—have rejected proposed cuts to EU cohesion and agricultural funding in the bloc’s next seven-year budget. Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš said member states should not receive less money and warned against harming industrial economies.

Wider context: V4 leaders also criticized high European energy prices and emissions trading rules. Babiš called for suspending the ETS 1 system, arguing that it is damaging European industrial competitiveness.

The Czech government plans to cut unemployment benefits from January, arguing that higher payments introduced this year have failed to stimulate the labor market. The initial benefit would fall from 80 percent to 65 percent of previous earnings, while the maximum would drop from roughly CZK 38,500 to CZK 29,000 monthly.

Why now: Registered job seekers reached 367,346 in July, up nearly 38,000 year over year. The proposal still requires parliamentary approval and faces opposition from unions, employers, opposition parties and coalition partner SPD.

A fire broke out aboard an EasyJet plane bound for Prague while it was taxiing at Milan Malpensa Airport Thursday afternoon. All 146 passengers were evacuated using emergency slides, with two people reportedly sustaining minor injuries during the evacuation.

What we know: The fire may have been caused by a power bank inside a passenger’s carry-on bag, according to Italian media. The incident temporarily restricted operations at Malpensa Airport for about an hour.

Czech Children’s Ombudsman Martin Beneš has filed a criminal complaint over the 2025 workplace death of a Ukrainian boy under 15, saying he may have been a victim of exploitation. The boy suffered fatal injuries while illegally working around dangerous machinery at a company in western Bohemia.

Why now: A Labor Inspectorate investigation found multiple workplace and employment violations, including that an unlicensed agency arranged the job. Police previously investigated the death but closed the case after finding nobody criminally liable.

European Heritage Days continues across Czechia this September, opening historic buildings and other sites that are normally inaccessible to the public. This year’s program includes special events in Třeboň and Český Krumlov this weekend, as well as dozens of participating locations elsewhere.

Where to go: Olomouc opens numerous monuments from Sept. 11–13, while Ústí nad Labem is making 33 normally closed sites accessible throughout September. Pelhřimov will also offer free entry to several landmarks alongside cultural events.