Defense Minister to discuss establishing US military presence in Czechia

Czech Defense Minister Jana Černochová will meet with her American counterpart Lloyd Austin in the United States after Easter, and she intends to start talks on establishing a US military presence in the Czech Republic, writes Deník N. Černochová said the Czech Republic could establish an agreement like neighboring Slovakia with the United States, which allows the US military to use two bases in the country.

“I don’t want to mention specific details, but I think it could be important for us if an agreement was in the works,” Černochová told Deník N. “We are exploring all avenues to ensure our security, to strengthen the flank eastern part of NATO, and be able to deal with the kind of aggressive threat that Russia under Vladimir Putin is showing today.” According to Labor Minister Marian Jurečka, speaking to CNN Prima this morning, bases in Přerov or Mošnov could be considered for the US military presence.

The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute has issued a frost warning for much of the Czech Republic, in effect from 11:00 p.m. tonight until Tuesday morning. Low night temperatures could damage flowering trees, and gardeners of apricot, peach, plum, and other types of fruit trees are advised to protect them overnight.

According to the Czech Institute of Hydrometeorology, temperatures between one and minus three degrees Celsius are forecast overnight, for much of the country, with extreme lows of up to minus five degrees. Experts recommend spraying flowering trees with water mist early in the morning (before sunrise) to protect them from frost.

Among EU states, only Poland experienced a higher fuel price increase than the Czech Republic following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, according to an analysis prepared by iDnes.cz. The price of gasoline in the Czech Republic has increased by 18% since February 24, while the price of diesel has increased by 28.6% during this period.

Germany, Austria and Bulgaria have also seen significant increases in fuel prices over the past six weeks. Fuel prices in Hungary, Italy and Malta were the least affected by the Russian invasion, with diesel prices in Italy and Hungary even falling. According to experts, fuel prices will continue to rise for the foreseeable future.

Bike thefts caused losses of 150 million crowns in the Czech Republic last year, according to police estimates. The losses represent an increase from 134 million crowns reported in 2020 and 108 million crowns in 2019. The total number of reported bicycle thefts was 4,799 in 2021, although the true number is likely higher because all cases are not reported to the police.

“Police statistics show that most bicycles or e-bikes are stolen by burglary [as opposed to robbery]”, Vlastimil Divoký of the insurance company ERV told the local press. “So these are thefts from cellars, bicycle sheds, houses or hallways of houses. Most of them are pre-planned events that are not prevented by a quality lock.” Due to the high number of bicycle thefts, the police in the Czech Republic can only investigate about twenty percent of reported cases.

A group of activists protested the killing of civilians in the Bucha massacres and other Ukrainian locations occupied by Russian troops at a performance outside the Russian Embassy in Prague on Saturday afternoon. Based on photos of victims in Bucha, attendees lay motionless on the ground during the performance, some with their hands tied or covered in fake blood.

A follow-up event dedicated to the victims of Russian aggression in Bucha and elsewhere in Ukraine took place at the memorial to Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko (1814-1841) in Prague’s Kinský Square later in the day.

Heavy snowfall in the Karlovy Vary region of the Czech Republic downed trees and power lines overnight, and around 3,000 residents were without power as of 11 a.m. Saturday morning, compared to more than 10,000 at 6 a.m. Throughout the night, firefighters reported 54 cases. caused by weather events, removing dozens of trees from local roads. No injuries were reported.

“As of 06:00, there were 18 incidents with high-voltage lines, and there were around 12,000 homes without electricity,” CEZ spokeswoman Soňa Holingerová told local media. “At 8:00 a.m. there were 6,000 and after 9:00 a.m. we are still working on 14 incidents on the high-voltage lines and there are about 2,800 homes without electricity.”

Prices for food products used in traditional Czech Easter recipes have increased by 22% between 2021 and 2022, according to an analysis by Česká distribuční, which compared year-on-year prices advertised on local flyers and leaflets . According to the comparison, the price of semi-coarse flour rose by the greatest amount and rose by 57% to 17.9 crowns this year.

According to advertised prices, the average cost of medium-sized eggs has also increased significantly this year, rising by 39% to 31.2 crowns per ten eggs. Sugar and butter prices have also increased by more than 30% year-on-year. Milk prices, meanwhile, remained stable at 10.9 crowns per litre. Of the nine ingredients compared, baking powder was the only one to see a drop in cost, down 15% to 1.65 crowns for a small package.

The Czech Republic is considering lowering its minimum driving age by one year, according to Transport Minister Martin Kupka. The current driving age in the country is eighteen; the Department for Transport will propose lowering it to seventeen in a new set of changes which could come into effect in 2024. Those driving at seventeen should do so under the supervision of a more experienced driver until when they turn eighteen.

Additional changes in the proposal include a change to the points system for offenses that would tighten penalties for more serious offenses and reduce those for less serious offenses. According to Kupka, the new point system would be simpler, with three sets of offense types of two, four and six points each.

The Czech government will present in the coming weeks a comprehensive five-year plan with the aim of achieving energy security and independence from Russian supplies. Prime Minister Petr Fiala announced the new project during his speech at the ODS congress this morning. The main goal of the plan will be to free the Czech Republic from dependence on Russian fossil fuels, the prime minister noted.

“The need to completely transform the Czech Republic’s energy industry is also part of overall European security and economic changes,” said Fiala, who is defending his position as ODS chairman at the congress. “It could soon affect every Czech household,” Fiala added. He called the long-term dependence on Russian energy one of the biggest security risks for the Czech Republic.

Members of the Italian mafia have invested in tourism in the Czech Republic, and these activities are largely profitable for them, the Italian Directorate of Anti-Mafia Investigations said in a report covering the first six months of 2021 published on Friday. In addition, the Italian mafia uses housing in the Czech Republic to house its members who are hiding from law enforcement, the report said.

The Italian Directorate of Anti-Mafia Investigations recorded activities of mafia groups from Calabria, Sicily, Campania and Puglia operating in the Czech Republic, according to the report. Police also uncovered large-scale Italian mafia activity in Slovakia. “As several investigations revealed, there are Italian organized crime groups in the Czech Republic,” the report said. “It’s mainly in tourism, which allows them to make big profits.”