Headlines of the weekend: energy prices in the Czech Republic have tripled for some customers

Czech consumers without a fixed-price energy tariff see their costs rise almost four times, according to a survey of local customers and suppliers by the Právo newspaper. According to ČEZ, one of the largest providers in the country, about 10% of its customers do not benefit from a fixed tariff; according to Innogy, half of its customers do not benefit from a fixed rate.

“Until recently I paid an advance of CZK 1,800 per month for gas, now the supplier is asking for 4,300,” a consumer from Prague told Práva. “They increased my payment to 9,880 CZK in January and then to almost 16,000 in April. I was shocked,” another remarked.

Temperatures in the Czech Republic are expected to be mild over the next week, with daily highs of around 23 to 27 degrees Celsius, according to the latest forecast from the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute. Sunday will be mostly cloudy, with isolated thunderstorms overnight and through Monday morning.

However, warm temperatures will return to the country by next weekend, with highs of up to 34 degrees Celsius expected by Saturday. A fire warning remains in effect for parts of the country in North Bohemia and South Moravia.

Land prices in the Czech Republic have been rising steadily since 2010 and have climbed 23.2% over the past year, according to analysis by real estate company Ekonomické stavby. According to the report, there is a shortage of available land and prices are expected to continue to rise.

While sales prices for new and old buildings in the Czech Republic stagnated in the second quarter of 2022, the same was not true for land. “And given that these are rare goods that simply cannot be ‘produced’, price cuts are highly unlikely,” the company’s chief commercial officer, Martin Protiva, told local media.

The Czech Foreign Ministry reported that 50 Czech citizens died abroad during this summer tourist season, from June 15 to August 5. According to the ministry, the number of deaths of citizens abroad has returned to pre-pandemic levels.

Popular tourist destinations such as Croatia, Italy, Turkey, Spain, France and Greece were the most common locations for deaths of Czech citizens abroad. Last year, the Czech Republic reported 105 deaths of citizens abroad between June 15 and September 15; this number was 60 in 2020 when travel was restricted due to the pandemic.

In addition to the world’s longest suspension bridge, an elaborate watchtower and a bobsleigh run, the Dolní Morava resort is moving ahead with plans to invest in additional recreational attractions, said its mayor Richard Novák to journalists. A wellness hotel, a new cable car, an additional ski slope and an artificial lake are among the upcoming projects.

“These things are supposed to stabilize tourism in one way or another,” Novák told local reporters. “The goal is for the resort to provide people with a range of activities to stay here for several days, keeping busy and supporting the local economy.”

About half of the Czech Republic’s 160 measuring stations reported record temperatures for August 5 on Friday, the second day in a row to see record high temperatures, Petra Sýkorová of the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute told reporters.

The highest temperatures yesterday were reported from parts of southern Moravia, where temperatures above 37 degrees Celsius were recorded at several measuring stations. Due to the high temperatures, a forest fire warning is currently in effect in the regions of northern Bohemia and southern Moravia.

Train travel between Bohemia and Moravia on routes that pass through Brandýs nad Orlicí was interrupted this morning due to track damage. The type of damage was not specified, but could be related to last night’s thunderstorms. Travel has been halted on these routes since early this morning, and railway officials hope repairs will be completed by early afternoon.

“Before 6:45 a.m., the traction line was damaged at Brandýs nad Orlicí station,” a spokesman for the Czech Railways administration told reporters. “We are currently working on the repair of the traction line, this involves repairing both sides of the tracks, so it is not yet possible to resume operations. As soon as the repair is completed, trains will be able to [resume operation].”

The Czech unemployment rate among recent Czech secondary school graduates rose by nearly a third last year, to 6.2%, according to an analysis conducted by the National Pedagogical Institute. According to their research, the economic effects following the coronavirus pandemic have led to increased unemployment among this group.

“The situation regarding interest in graduates is changing significantly,” says the analysis of the National Pedagogical Institute. “The number of graduates is starting to increase, but the expected economic downturn, reinforced by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, has led to the need to address the problems of their unemployment and their employability in the labor market.”

A 54-year-old man was pulled from the Vltava River in Prague by rescue divers on Friday afternoon, but despite the efforts of paramedics he could not be saved. Representatives of the Prague police and emergency rescue services briefed journalists on the case on Friday evening.

The man was found near the ferry terminal in the Smíchov district of Prague. According to witnesses, the man had gone swimming and disappeared under water. “Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of everyone involved, the man’s life could not be saved,” said Jana Poštová, spokesperson for the Prague emergency services.