Czech news in brief for September 27: Friday's top headlines

The Czech Statistical Office reported today that the Czech Republic's population dropped by 21,500 to 10.88 million in the first half of 2024. This decline occurred due to higher deaths than births and a decrease in foreign immigration. Births dropped by 10 percent year on year, with the steepest decline among women aged 25-29. Immigration also decreased by 13,800 compared to last year, with 62,700 people immigrating and 70,200 emigrating. Also, in the first six months of this year, 18,600 couples got married, 7 percent fewer than in the same period last year. 

According to Czech police, a 64-year-old man from Ostrava, identified unofficially as former Social Democratic Party member Petr Wolf, was arrested in Paraguay after more than 10 years on the run. Wolf was sentenced to six years in prison for subsidy fraud in 2012, involving CZK 11 million in fraudulent subsidies from the Ministry of the Environment. His arrest resulted from a targeted international search by Interpol and cooperation between Paraguayan and Argentine police forces. He had been a member of parliament for four years.

The second and final round of elections for one-third of the Senate began today at 2 p.m. and will conclude on Saturday. Voters are selecting 22 senators, with five already chosen in the first round. The opposition ANO movement elected by far the highest number of representatives in the first round of the election. Despite the outcome, the government coalition will maintain a Senate majority, while the Civic Democrats and TOP 09 parties will retain the right to nominate the Senate head.

According to a survey by the Public Opinion Research Center for the Interior Ministry, about two-thirds of Ukrainian war refugees intend to remain in the Czech Republic after their temporary protection status expires, marking a 20 percent increase from last year. Of the registered 320,304 Ukrainian refugees in Czechia, primarily women, 28 percent definitely want to stay, while 38 percent are "somewhat inclined" to do so. One in five say they "definitely" want to go home.

President Petr Pavel and his wife Eva met with 300 Czech compatriots in Berwyn, near Chicago, as part of the Week of Czech Heritage. Greeted by traditional costumes and a brass band, Pavel thanked the crowd for preserving Czech traditions abroad. He highlighted the importance of U.S.-Czech ties and announced that Czechs living abroad will be able to vote in upcoming elections. Pavel also presented a new book honoring Eva Neugebauerova Hankova.

The Czech Pirate Party's National Forum begins voting today on whether to leave the government following the proposed removal of outgoing party chairman Ivan Bartoš. Bartoš announced the party's exit to Prime Minister Petr Fiala earlier this week, citing dissatisfaction with his dismissal, which Fiala attributed to issues with construction digitization. The vote, open to the party's 1,161 members, will conclude Monday evening, with results expected soon after.

The Slovak Ministry of Investment, Regional Development, and Informatisation (MIRRI) mistakenly used footage of Russia in a TV spot promoting EU funds and Slovakia’s beauty, opposition MP Veronika Remisova stated. The ministry withdrew the spot and blamed the contracting agency for not following instructions. Remisova criticized Minister Richard Rasi for the error, calling it a major embarrassment. The ministry announced the agency will rework the ad.

Pardubice plans to build the world’s largest hockey arena, with a capacity of 22,296 spectators, surpassing current record-holders in St. Petersburg and Montreal. The project, presented by Dynamo Pardubice owner Petr Dedek, will cost CZK 10.5 billion and include a smaller arena, hotel, and parking. Dedek expects the venue to host 100 events annually, including concerts with up to 26,000 attendees.

Merchants in the Czech Republic are seeing a gradual rise in sales as consumers begin to spend more, though they remain cautious with food purchases, according to a survey by the Trade and Tourism Association. Over half of food sales occur during discount events, with shoppers increasingly interested in domestic products and private brands. Despite the increase in spending, consumers are carefully considering their purchases and seeking out deals.