News in brief for May 22: Thunderstorm and flood warning issued across Czechia for Tuesday

Simona Hornochová, the new director general of Czechia’s Financial Administration, has announced plans to develop a new information system aimed at improving tax collection and detecting tax evasion. The system, which will for the first time be revamped in full for the first time since 1992, is expected to enhance efficiency and be operational by 2026. 

Hornochová emphasized the need for a unified application to centralize data, allowing for better targeting of tax audits and facilitating debt collection. As part of the restructuring, 77 tax offices will close.

Minister of Labor Marian Jurečka has said today that he plans to make it possible for people in Czechia to apply for social benefits online, rather than needing to physically attend Labor Office branches in Czechia. He wants half of all welfare benefits to be processed digitally within the next two years.

There are currently around 10,000 applications older than 30 days old that have not been processed. Last year also saw thousands of payments delayed – an issue that is still ongoing today.

A third Czech lecturer who had been involved in a sexual harassment case against female students at Brno’s Masaryk University has left his role by mutual consent. The educational institution withdrew him from teaching at the start of February. 

Last May, six female students at Masaryk University filed a complaint against the conduct of two teachers from the departments of physical education and health education. They described sexual harassment and unethical behavior from instruction and training courses from 2013 to 2022. 

The Czech military has decided not to purchase three medium-sized combat drones as previously planned, opting instead to buy over 200 smaller drones. The army aims to procure unmanned aerial vehicles weighing up to 20 kilograms, specifically designed for surveillance purposes.

 This change in strategy is based on insights gained from recent conflicts, such as the war in Ukraine. The Czech military will reserve the purchase of medium-sized drones for future endeavors, while canceling the existing contract for "Heron 1" combat drones from Israel, valued at approximately CZK 2.7 billion.

Czech Minister of Defense Jana Černochová will meet her U.S. counterpart Lloyd Austin Tuesday to sign a Czechia-U.S. defense-cooperation agreement. 

This entails the possibility of U.S. troops having a base in Czechia, although exact terms have not been specified. The defense agreement is expected to see greater arms trade between both countries. The Freedom and Direct Democracy party in government has expressed its disapproval of the agreement, implying that the current coalition is going behind the backs of the Czech people.

The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute has announced today that almost all of Czechia faces a “level 5” alert against ticks – the most dangerous level.

Level 5 will also apply on Tuesday and Wednesday due to warm and humid temperatures. The Klíště.cz portal offers a map of tick activity, where one can find out what diseases ticks carry in the selected area.

The head of the Czech Pirate Party – in the current government coalition – Ivan Bartoš has sharply criticized the decision of one of the party’s members to attend an anti-capitalism event. 

Jana Michailida went to the forum over the weekend, which also featured communism-sympathetic talks on Marxism. Bartoš wrote that Michailida should rethink and “re-evaluate” her actions in the public sphere. Michailida objected to the criticism, however, saying that she attended talks on art during communism.

Former Prime Minister Andrej Babiš has filed a complaint against Czechia’s Constitutional Court in its ruling of a long-running dispute between himself and a protester who he had accused of being “fake.”

In 2018, Babiš accused protester Jana Filipová of being a paid demonstrator and not genuine. He was then ordered to send a letter of apology to Filipová, which he did, but also attached a letter saying he disagreed with the court’s ruling. He then apologized again without additional comments.  

Strong winds, thunderstorms, and heavy rain will hit parts of Czechia Tuesday, according to an official warning by the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (ČHMÚ). Central and East Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia are the areas most at risk. However, showers and accompanying thunderstorms are expected in the capital tomorrow afternoon.

Wind gusts are forecast to reach up to 70 kilometers per hour, and the ČHMÚ warns against the risk of small streams and lakes overflowing. A weather warning is in place between midday and 8 p.m. 

Czech lower house head Markéta Pekarová Adamová is leading a delegation of representatives from the Chamber of Deputies and Czech business owners on a visit to the United States until May 26. The purpose of the visit is to strengthen Czech-American cooperation in both political and economic spheres.

Pekarová Adamová will discuss Ukraine and the Indo-Pacific with congress members and visit Maryland and Georgia with the business leaders. The delegation aims to garner support from American lawmakers for Ukraine and to promote business opportunities for Czech companies in the growing economies of Maryland and Georgia.

The Czech hockey team suffered a 2-4 defeat to Switzerland at the World Championship in Riga. Despite captain Roman Červenka giving the Czechs an early lead, Switzerland rallied back with goals from Romain Loeffel and Andres Ambühl, who became the highest-scoring player in Swiss national team history.

Dominik Kubalík scored a power-play goal for the Czechs, but Tanner Richard sealed the victory for Switzerland. The loss means the Czech team will now face Canada for the second place in the group. Switzerland, with a perfect record, secured first place in Group B.

Survivors gathered in Terezín to commemorate the victims of Nazi persecution on the 78th anniversary of the end of World War II. The survivors shared their experiences of living in the Terezín ghetto, highlighting the hardships they faced, such as malnutrition, diseases, and fear. They emphasized the importance of remembering and discussing the events of the Holocaust. Several survivors continue to share their stories with the public, particularly with young people.

The survivors expressed gratitude for surviving the war and acknowledged the unity and hope that prevailed among the ghetto residents. Speaking at the event, Czech President Petr Pavel said: "The fortress in Terezín became a symbol of the worst that man is capable of."

Ticket sellers in the Czech Republic are experiencing a significant increase in interest and sales compared to last year, with numbers ranging from 10 to 50 percent higher. Despite rising ticket prices, Czechs are eager to travel this summer, with Spain and Italy being the most popular destinations. Companies like Letuska.cz, kiwi.com, and Student Agency have observed the surge in ticket sales, reporting an increase in interest and bookings.

Special events and sales offered by airlines have contributed to the growing demand. Prague Airport has added new direct flights and aims to handle 13.5 million passengers this year, expecting a return to pre-pandemic passenger levels by 2026.

The third weekend of May in the Czech Republic saw the arrival of summer temperatures, with approximately half of the 265 weather stations surpassing the 25-degree Celsius limit, marking a summer day. The hottest temperature, reaching 28.8 degrees Celsius, was recorded in Mělník. Other high-temperature areas included Doksany in Litoměřice and Pilsen - Bolevec.

The summer weather is expected to continue on Monday, with a slight cooling trend on Tuesday, and temperatures not exceeding 20 degrees Celsius on Wednesday. The forecast for Monday includes partial cloudiness, occasional showers, and thunderstorms, with temperatures ranging from 23 to 27 degrees Celsius.