About: Czech Republic
Czech taxpayers should return EU subsidies due to PM’s business conflict
The European Commission has determined that the Czech Republic must return hundreds of millions of crowns in EU subsidies as Prime Minister Andrej Babiš did not sufficiently separate himself from holdings that received the funds, Czech news websites reported.
Behind-the-curtain of the EU’s 2050 climate plan, part II
In October 2018, EURACTIV revealed how the European Commission was planning to propose an ambitious new climate plan for 2050. Now the EU is on the cusp of agreeing to implement it. Here is how the pieces line up ahead of crunch talks later in December.
EU audit finds Czech Prime Minister Babis in conflict of interest
A European Commission audit has confirmed that Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš is in a conflict of interest due to his former business empire that he has put into trust funds, weekly Respekt reported on its website on Sunday (1...
‘Heat our homes, not the planet’: EU clean air forum takes heating to task
Heating’s huge impact on the EU’s air quality and greenhouse gas emissions needs new focus and attention, according to policymakers and activists gathered in Bratislava on Thursday (28 November).
Babis voices regret for Czech communist past at Velvet Revolution anniversary
The Czech Republic's billionaire prime minister expressed regret over his communist past on Sunday (17 November) while Slovakia's liberal president hailed the sacrifices communist-era dissidents made for democracy as their nations celebrated 30 years since the Velvet Revolution toppled communism in then-Czechoslovakia.
Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland ‘breached EU law’ by refusing refugees
The Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland likely broke EU law by refusing to take in asylum-seekers at the height of the refugee crisis in 2015, the top EU court's legal advisor said Thursday (31 October).
Media-shy Czech mogul buys TV empire spanning five EU countries
The PPF investment group owned by Petr Kellner, who keeps a low profile despite being the Czech Republic's wealthiest man, said Monday (28 October) it had sealed a deal for the CME media group running 30 TV stations in five Central European states.
Prague to remove statue of Soviet World War II marshal
A district assembly in Prague voted on Thursday (12 September) to remove a statue of a Soviet World War Two marshal and replace it with a more general memorial following a row that has drawn in the Czech president and Russian authorities.
Babis: Rule-of-law job would be great honour for Czech Republic
Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš has scolded Politico for publishing what he said was old and unconfirmed information about a potential rule-of-law portfolio for the Czech Commission candidate Věra Jourová. But he did say this portfolio would be a prestigious one. EURACTIV Czech Republic reports.
Will the government of Andrej Babiš survive again?
Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš survived a no-confidence vote on 27 June, but his coalition government is torn by internal strife and appears to be nearer the end than at any point in its past 12 months in office.
How to fix Eastern Europe’s problem with 2050 climate neutrality
A radical, one might say populist, solution to solve the Eastern blockade on climate neutrality would be to set up a European Climate Solidarity Fund, writes István Bart.
Czech drug policy shifts toward patients with rare diseases
The Czech government has launched a legislative initiative to improve access to most modern medications and rare disease drugs, Health Minister Adam Vojtěch told EURACTIV in an interview, adding that patients are involved in the decision-making process at a very early stage, including in drafting the law.
EU takes stock after climate deal disappointment
EU environment ministers met on Wednesday (26 June) to take stock of how a landmark climate deal fell short of a final agreement last week. Signs now suggest that the European Council will stick to its end-of-year deadline and Poland will finally get on board.
Embattled Czech mogul PM survives confidence vote
Billionaire Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš survived a no-confidence vote early on Thursday (27 June), even as he faces charges of graft, EU concerns over possible conflicts of interest and mass rallies demanding his resignation.
The Visegrad 4 and Russian pipelines: An imaginary unity
The Nord Stream II pipeline gave birth to a seemingly united front among several Central and Eastern European states objecting to the project, including Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland. That, however, is far from the truth, writes Martin Jirušek.
Czech MEPs ‘all over the place’, except in S&D group
Czech voters have sent 21 MEPs to the European Parliament, including 11 new faces. The political fragmentation seen in the new EU assembly is also reflected in the Czech contingent of MEPs. EURACTIV.cz brings an overview of all the parties and representatives.
Czechs demand Babis quit in largest protest since communism
Huge crowds flooded central Prague on Sunday (23 June) demanding Prime Minister Andrej Babiš step down over allegations of graft in a protest that organisers and local media claim drew around 250,000 people, making it the largest since the fall of communism in 1989.
Czechs alarmed as populist leaders take aim at public media
Czech journalists and media analysts are raising alarm over the "threat" to the country's public media from mounting pressure on the press by populist politicians.
Four eastern EU states to discuss top jobs, keen to boost their influence
The leaders of Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic will discuss in Budapest on Thursday (13 June) potential candidates for top jobs in the European Union coming up for grabs shortly, in a sign of regional coordination by the so-called Visegrad Four.
Visegrad4: From a provincial energy debate to joint action for renewables
The V4 group of countries ignores climate threats, attempts to extend fossil fuel burning, violates air pollution limits and undermines the development of renewable energies. The Visegrad+ Renewable Energy platform has been established to turn this trend around, writes Ada Ámon.
EU country briefing: Czech Republic
The following article is a part of a series of brief country profiles for the EU-28 ahead of the European elections in May. The Czech Republic, shortened to Czechia since 2016, was the second most developed country (after Slovenia) of the eight Central...
Visegrad countries fight to keep pace with e-mobility transition
Central Europe falls under the EU average of electric vehicle market penetration. But it doesn’t want to be left behind by the global trend, leaping into battery production and dreaming even bigger. EURACTIV's network partners report.
Juncker looks back on 15 years of ‘big bang’ EU enlargement
Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker offered interesting comments on present-day leaders of member states from Central Europe, on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the 1 May 2004 accession of 10 countries, known as “the big bang”.