Government formation delayed

The formation of a new government following the parliamentary elections in the Czech Republic has been delayed. After the election winner ANO had already reached an agreement with the two smaller parties Motoristé (Motorists' Party) and the right-wing populist SPD on the distribution of ministries a week ago, the process was slowed down at the beginning of this week. This was due to the personnel proposals of the Motoristé party in particular, which met with strong public rejection. For example, the motorists had proposed their honorary chairman Filip Turek for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. However, the daily newspaper Deník N then published earlier posts by Turek on social media in which he made homophobic, xenophobic and openly racist comments. Some posts also glorified the Nazis.

Turek and his party leader Petr Macinka tried to give the impression that the quotes were not genuine. This also concerns Macinka himself, who is to become environment minister. Scientists and environmental organizations have already protested against this. Macinka is considered a close confidant of former President Václav Klaus, who denies climate change. Macinka had already announced that he wanted to rid the ministry of the "Greens", but Andrej Babiš, who is expected to be the next head of government, then asked the Motorists' Party to nominate non-party experts as ministers. The third partner, the SPD, had already announced similar plans. However, the Motorists' Party insists on appointing its own people.

Babiš has now drawn the conclusion and postponed the appointment of ministers. He announced that the future government would now first work on the program. This should be ready by the beginning of November. The constituent session of the new parliament will take place on November 3. Andrej Babiš has since conceded that the new government will probably not be sworn in until December.

However, Babiš also has to reassure people on other levels. A withdrawal from NATO or the EU, as demanded by the SPD in its election program, is out of the question. On Friday, he added that he also does not want to increase the budget deficit planned for 2026. The background to this is the decision by the outgoing government not to reintroduce the draft for 2026 to the new parliament. The draft had already been approved by the government and submitted to parliament before the elections. Sending the bill to the new parliament a second time is actually considered a formality. The government still in office had rejected this on the grounds that it did not want to be responsible for the spending increases announced by the ANO and SPD. However, this step would significantly delay the budget formation process and the Czech Republic would almost certainly start the new year with a provisional budget. In the meantime, however, President Petr Pavel has also spoken out in favor of re-submitting the prepared draft to parliament.

On the death of Ivan Klíma and Dana Drábová

The Czech Republic is mourning the death of two great personalities. On October 4, the writer and playwright Ivan Klíma died at the age of 94. He was one of the most successful Czech authors, whose works have been translated into over 30 languages. Klíma spent 3.5 years in the Theresienstadt ghetto as a child. The National Socialists had turned the former garrison town into a transit camp from where Jews were deported to the extermination camps in conquered Poland. Klíma survived the ghetto and later joined the Communist Party, from which he was expelled in 1967 due to his critical stance. After the suppression of the Prague Spring, he was banned from publishing. His works could only be published in samizdat (self-publishing) in his home country, but were translated and published abroad. His novels published in German included "Der Gnadenrichter", "Meine ersten Lieben" and "Meine fröhlichen Morgen". Klíma was a signatory of Charta 77 and received numerous awards after 1989. Of the famous three "Ks" of the Prague Spring (Milan Kundera, Ivan Klíma, Pavel Kohout), only the 97-year-old Kohout is still alive, according to an obituary.

30 years younger than Klíma was the nuclear physicist Dana Drábová, who died on October 6 after a long illness. Until the end, she used her X account to report on the current radiological radiation situation in Ukraine, where one of the largest nuclear power plants is occupied by Russian troops. Drábová had been the director of the Czech Nuclear Supervisory Authority since 1999 and was also regarded abroad as a renowned nuclear expert. She served twice as a member of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). She was also Chairwoman of the Western European Nuclear Regulators Association (WENRA). She has also advised the Japanese government since 2018. Drábová played a key role in defusing the heated atmosphere, particularly between Austria and the Czech Republic, over the Temelín nuclear power plant, which was inaugurated in the early 2000s. In addition to her undisputed authority, she focused on maximum transparency and was also regarded as a respected authority outside the energy industry in the Czech Republic. She was active in local politics and repeatedly made political statements. At the beginning of 2023, for example, she openly supported the current President Petr Pavel in the election campaign against his rival Andrej Babiš.

Forest fire trial continues

The district court in Ústí nad Labem (Aussig) must once again deal with the arson trial against former volunteer national park ranger Jiří L. The Court of Appeal in Prague overturned the acquittal and ordered the trial to continue. Not all evidence had been exhausted. At the same time, it could not be ruled out that the arsonist of the large forest fire in the summer of 2022 was not someone else. The district court had acquitted Jiří L. due to a lack of evidence. Jiří L. had initially admitted to the arson, but then recanted his statement. In another trial, L. had been acquitted of arson of smaller objects in Bohemian Switzerland such as a raised hide, a barn and a chalet.

The devastating forest fire broke out at the end of July 2022 in Malinový důl in Bohemian Switzerland near Hřensko. The fire spread extremely quickly due to severe drought and stronger winds and even spread to Saxon Switzerland. The fire was only finally extinguished weeks later.

Prize for Czech Expo pavilion

The Czech pavilion for the World Expo in Osaka has won the silver medal in the category for smaller pavilions with an exhibition area of up to 1,500 square meters. The International Bureau of Exhibitions (BIE), which awards the prizes, praised the building for its original architecture, which combines tradition, innovation and sustainability. The Expo ended on Tuesday in Osaka, Japan.

For the Czech Republic, it is the biggest success since the 1970 World Expo in Brussels, where the country, then still Czechoslovakia, scored in several categories, including design. This time, the pavilion attracted attention with its daring construction. The façade of the building, which widens towards the top, is made of glass. The core is made of wood.

Schäferwand has a restaurant again

There is once again a restaurant on Pastýřská stěna (Shepherd's Wall) in Děčín. It opened in the small chateau, which towers over Děčín with its white façade. Popularly known as Nebíčko (Little Heaven), it is one of the town's most popular views. The Schäferwand is a striking rock in the middle of the city, which drops steeply to the left bank of the Elbe opposite the castle. The wall can even be conquered via via ferratas. There have been several restaurants in the castle in the past. However, the operators failed time and again. Most recently, there was a snack bar, but it was not open all year round. The building belongs to the city, which rents it out to the operating company Mountain development.

The building has been renovated in recent years. The new restaurant will officially open on Saturday. It will initially be open from Thursday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., with the associated bistro only open at weekends. In the summer season, the operators expect the restaurant to be open every day. There is also a vacation apartment above the restaurant.

The most important Christmas tree in the Czech Republic

Every year, people eagerly await the Christmas tree that will be erected on the Old Town Square in the center of Prague. This year, the common spruce comes from the border region with Saxony, more precisely from the municipality of Jiřetín pod Jedlovou. The spruce stands on a private property. It would have had to be felled anyway because the 26-metre tree could pose a threat to the nearby log cabin in the foreseeable future. The tree is already 85 years old and its stability is no longer guaranteed due to the often damp subsoil. The root system has also spread far into the surrounding area, owner Rudolf Storczer told the daily newspaper Děčínský deník. The tree was planted by his father.

The owner was delighted that his tree was chosen to stand at the Christmas market on the Old Town Square. The selection also has the advantage that the municipal company Technologie hlavního města Prahy (THMP) will now take care of the felling and removal. They will have to shorten the tree by three meters and transport it to Prague during the night on 22 November and set it up at its destination.

This is the 15th time that Prague has held a public competition to find the Christmas tree for its most important Christmas market. The competition is open to entries from all over the country. The best chances are given to common spruces with a height of 23 to 25 meters, well proportioned and ideally located near a street.

The Christmas tree will be festively illuminated on November 29, the Saturday before the 1st Advent, when the Christmas market on the Old Town Square opens.

(This is an automatic translation by DeepL Translator.)

Results of the Czech parliamentary elections

Parliamentary elections were held in the Czech Republic on October 3 and 4. As a result, the previous government was voted out of office.

The clear winner of the election is the ANO party of billionaire Andrej Babiš, who was already head of government from 2017 to 2021. His party received 35% of the vote. The latest polls had predicted a result of around 30%, which is why it is assumed that voters from smaller parties have switched to ANO to ensure the current government is replaced. Babiš is currently in talks about forming a joint government with the right-wing populist SPD (Party of Direct Democracy), which achieved 8%, and the motorists' party Motoristé sobě (Motorists), which achieved 7%. Both were thus below the forecasts, meaning that they also appear to have lost ground to the ANO.

The previous governing parties, the conservative alliance SPOLU (23%) and the mayoral party STAN (11%), lost their majority. Until last year, the Pirates were also part of the government and this time they achieved 9%.

The Stačilo! alliance, which is dominated by the - only slightly modernized - communists of the KSČM and was considered a potential coalition partner of the ANO before the election (which already governed with the KSČM in 2018-2021), failed to reach the 5% hurdle with 4.3%. The Social Democrats of the ČSSD, who had disappeared into insignificance, were also accommodated there, which had been heavily criticized and led to a number of prominent party resignations. Before the election, Stačilo! was predicted to win around 7%, but many voters seem to have switched from this party to ANO.

The very high voter turnout of 69%, the highest since 1998, is pleasing. Voter turnout in the Czech Republic is often quite low, and the country is usually among the worst performers in European elections in particular.

The result was completely different for Czechs voting abroad: SPOLU won here with 39%, ahead of the Pirates (28%) and STAN (22%). The Ano party only achieved around 4%, the SPD and Motoristé sobě around 2% each. 37,654 Czechs cast their votes abroad, which corresponds to a voter turnout of 79%.

What can ANO, SPD and Motoristé expect?

In the German and Western press, Babiš and the ANO were often lumped together with Orban, Fico and the FPÖ and it was feared that after his election victory, the Czech Republic would also join the fundamental opposition to the EU, particularly with regard to support for Ukraine. However, various commentaries in the Czech press do not see this danger. Although ANO would be a member of the "Patriots for Europe" group in the EU Parliament with various right-wing populist parties such as Fidesz, the FPÖ or the Rassemblement National, this should not be taken too seriously, as Babiš is above all a pragmatist. It is also emphasized that the ANO and the German AfD should not be equated, even if the latter was pleased with Babiš's election victory.

Unlike the aforementioned parties, the ANO has never focused on the issue of migration, for example. Membership of the EU and NATO are also absolutely not questioned. Babiš is seen as a politician who, like a businessman - which he actually is - looks above all at what goes down best with his "customers", i.e. the voters, and can easily adapt his political stance accordingly. This became very clear in the first year of the COVID pandemic in particular. He would not be a fundamental threat to democracy and the rule of law, but great care must be taken to separate his economic interests from political action. This is seen as the greatest danger, and President Petr Pavel has also clearly called for a legally secure solution for Babiš's separation from his Agrofert group and his media companies, which he has been promised. Babiš is expected to focus on socio-political issues such as the rising cost of living, pensions and energy prices. In his first term of office, he had already gained a lot of sympathy from this group of voters with a series of benefits for pensioners, for example.

There are great fears regarding a change in Czech policy in support of Ukraine. The Czech ammunition initiative has greatly helped the country in its defense against Russia's invasion and has given the Czech Republic a lot of prestige. While Babiš was still talking about ending this initiative before the election, he is now emphasizing that, above all, no companies should be allowed to make excessive profits from it and that no money should be made available from the Czech state budget for this or for arms deliveries. This should be done via NATO or the EU. A blockade policy like that of Hungary and Slovakia was not to be expected.

With regard to the Czech Republic's relationship with Germany and the EU, commentators do not expect any major changes. Some even believe that the businessman Babiš gets on very well with Friedrich Merz and that he is particularly interested in good relations due to his business interests in Germany.

The ANO's exploratory talks with the SPD and Motoristé this week are intended to clarify, among other things, whether they will form a coalition or tolerate an ANO minority government. The differences between the two smaller partners are likely to play a key role in this. The Motoristé are essentially seen as an economically liberal party that advocates deregulation, privatization, lower taxes and state cuts. Membership of NATO and the EU is not an issue for them, even though the party has become big primarily through its criticism of the EU's Green Deal. The SPD, on the other hand, is at least a right-wing populist party that most closely resembles the AfD, with xenophobia and rejection of migration at its core. It is in favor of leaving the EU and has a critical relationship with the rule of law, which is why SPD leader Okamura's statements this week that he wants to become interior minister and immediately dismiss the police chief because he himself is under investigation were met with clear rejection even from future partner ANO. It is doubtful whether Babiš wants such an errant figure or party in his cabinet.

The first test for the new government will be the adoption of the budget. The draft was submitted by the previous government. The ANO and SPD want to increase the deficit it contains, while the Motoristé are against it.

Brabec remains Hejtman in Ústí

Richard Brabec from the ANO party, who was only elected hejtman of the Ústí district last year, has won a mandate in the parliamentary elections. It was already assumed last year that he would stand for election and there was speculation as to whether he would give up the post of hejtman after just one year(we reported). Now it is clear: he will renounce the mandate he won and remain hejtman in Ústí.

Goat track could be extended

Back in July, we had to report that the so-called Goat Railway between Oldřichov u Duchcova and Krupka město had been placed on a list of lines to be closed by the Czech Railway Administration. The railroad can currently only run from Děčín to Krupka as tourist line T11(information and timetables here) and the renovation of the rest of the route was deemed uneconomical. It has now become known that the railroad administration has changed its position and is considering renovating the section of line. The district of Ústí, which is particularly keen on the tourist potential of the line, has made a strong case for this.

 

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(This is an automatic translation by DeepL Translator.)

Zde je upravený překlad s použitím *"Bezirk Ústí "* místo "Region":

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Overall result of the parliamentary election 2025 - Czech Republic*
- ANO - 34.57 % of the votes → 80 mandates
- SPOLU - 23.33 % of the votes → 52 seats
- STAN - 11.21 % of the vote → 22 seats
- Pirates - 8.94 % of the vote → 18 seats
- SPD - 7.79 % of the vote → 15 seats
- Motorists for themselves (AUTO) - 6.77 % of the vote → 13 seats

Results 2025 - Ústí (Ústí)* district
- ANO - 44.85 % of the votes → 7 seats
- SPOLU - 15.40 % of the votes → 2 seats
- STAN - 9.61 % of the vote → 1 mandate
- SPD - 9.13 % of the vote → 1 mandate
- Pirates - 6.96 % of the vote → 1 mandate
- Motorists (AUTO) - 6.79 % of the vote → 1 mandate

(This is an automatic translation by DeepL Translator.)

Long ride to Děčín Castle reopened

After two years of renovation, the driveway to the castle in Děčín has been reopened to visitors. The impressive ramp, known as the Long Drive due to its length of almost 300 meters, was one of the last parts of the castle that had not yet been renovated after decades of use by three different armies. The driveway was partially resurfaced. However, many of the sandstone slabs were reused on the sides. In addition, some historical elements were reinstalled or moved back to their original positions. A new balcony was inserted from the rose garden. The ornately decorated wrought-iron gate of the upper portal was also restored. In addition, a small chapel at the lower end was moved to its historical position.

The last part of the palace to be restored is the rose garden and the pavilion known as the Sala Terrena, which adjoins the western end of the rose garden. The city will then turn its attention to objects in the area surrounding the palace. These include the garden house in the south gardens and the Marienwiese.

Ústí restores first important tomb

The city of Ústí nad Labem has restored the first of a series of architecturally valuable tombs. These are also graves of important personalities from the city's history. The grave of the von Wölfel family of entrepreneurs in the cemetery in Střekov fulfills both criteria. Alexander Edler von Wölfel was once the general director of the Association for Chemical and Metallurgical Production, today's Spolchemie plant in the middle of the town.

The city took over a dozen graves from the state last year, as no one had looked after them for a long time. The graves were therefore in need of restoration. The graves are of sentimental value to the city, which is why it is making money available for the restoration of the often magnificent graves. The restoration of the von Wölfels' tomb took just over half a year and cost 1.5 million crowns (61,000 euros). The tomb had to be stabilized, fitted with a new roof and the back wall renovated. The inscriptions were gilded and several sandstone elements were replaced.

D8 highway tunnel completely closed

As in April and July, the D8 highway from Dresden to Prague is once again completely closed for a week from today just after the border. The reason is the renovation of the tunnels of the highway D8 shortly after the border (tunnel Panenská and tunnel Libouchec). Two different detour routes have been signposted. As up to 30,000 vehicles a day are usually counted on this section, traffic chaos is expected in the surrounding area, but after the experience of the closures the first two times, this is expected to subside after a few days.

Some of the possible roads to avoid the closure are very narrow. Two separate detour routes have therefore been designated for freight traffic (and buses): For journeys in the direction of the Czech Republic, you have to exit in Petrovice and then wind your way through Petrovice, Tisá and Libouchec to rejoin the highway at the Telnice slip road (no. or km 80). In the opposite direction, leave the highway at this exit and drive via Varvažov, Telnice and Nákleřov to the Petrovice slip road. The police will deploy a larger force to ensure that trucks and buses adhere to this regulation and that oversized vehicles avoid the area on completely different routes.

A shorter route is available for cars: After the Petrovice exit, turn right and drive via Nákleřov and Telnice, but then not to Varvažov, but by turning left after the sharp bend via Knínice to the Telnice slip road back onto the highway. This route works in both directions.

As soon as the work on the tunnels is completed, traffic will be reopened on October 8. This will also mark the end of the tunnel renovation work that has been ongoing since spring. It was the first major renovation since the new highway was built. After the refurbishment, car drivers are now allowed to drive at a maximum speed of 100 km/h in the tunnels. Previously, the speed limit was 80 km/h, which is well worth adhering to as the speed is measured in the Panenská tunnel.

 

(This is an automatic translation by DeepL Translator.)

Close race in Czech elections

One week before the parliamentary elections, pollsters are predicting a tight race. The ANO party of former Prime Minister Andrej Babiš is still clearly leading the polls. However, according to all polling institutes, ANO is losing ground in the final stages and is now no longer above 30 percent. But the first runner-up, the governing coalition Spolu of Prime Minister Petr Fiala (ODS), is also losing ground in the polls and, unlike a few weeks ago, is now below 20 percent. In contrast, smaller parties are making gains, particularly the Pirates (almost 12 percent) and the Motorists (around 7 percent), while slight increases in the polls are also reported for the mayoral party STAN (almost 12 percent).

This means that ANO will almost certainly win the parliamentary elections, but will face a difficult time forming a government. On the one hand, this is due to the fact that seven alliances from no fewer than 13 parties now have a real chance of entering parliament. Added to this are the gains made by smaller parties. ANO would therefore have to include at least two, if not three, parties as coalition partners in the government. The right-wing populist party SPD has the best chances. Hopes are also pinned on the alliance Stačilo! (Enough is enough), which is based on the merger of the Communists and Social Democrats, and the Motorists.

Polling stations will open on Friday, October 3, at 2 pm. You can vote until 10 pm. Voting will then continue on the second day, October 4, at 8 am and end at 2 pm. We can therefore expect reliable election results on Saturday evening.

Teachers' salaries and pensions to rise

Teachers and pensioners in the Czech Republic can look forward to more money. From January, teachers' salaries are to rise by 7 percent. This has been agreed between the trade unions and Education Minister Mikuláš Bek. However, the government still has to give its approval. Other professional groups in the public sector can also look forward to higher wages. Salaries for firefighters are set to rise by 5 percent.

Teachers have been covered by a regular statutory pay rise for two years. This stipulates that their salary must be 130 percent of the average gross wage. In the second quarter of this year, this was 49,402 crowns, the equivalent of around 2,033 euros. The teacher's salary would therefore have to be around 2,650 euros by law.

Ferry in Dolní Žleb goes back into operation

After a break of almost a year, the car ferry in Dolní Žleb is back in operation. Passengers and vehicles are to be transported across the Elbe again from October.

The town of Děčín, to which the ferry belongs, had been looking for a new operator for almost a year. The last operator ceased operations in November last year. After two unsuccessful tender procedures, Děčín was successful after all. The new operator has already taken over the ferry.

The reason for the long search was, on the one hand, the strict conditions imposed on ferry operators, which are equivalent to those for skippers of inland cargo vessels. In the meantime, the Czech Republic has succeeded in softening these strict conditions for ferrymen. But one reason was also money. While the last operator was still available for 300,000 crowns a year, the new operator charges 1.5 million crowns (almost 62,000 euros) a year. The contract runs for two years.

The ferry runs daily between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., unless the water level is too high or too low. It is one of the last yaw rope ferries in the Czech Republic and is mainly used by tourists as well as locals. While the village of Dolní Žleb is located on the left bank of the Elbe, the ferry ends on the right bank at highway 62 from Děčín to Hřensko.

New cycle path from Česká Kamenice to Kamenický Šenov

A new cycle path connects the two towns of Česká Kamenice and Kamenický Šenov. The route, which is designed not only for cyclists but also for inline skaters, now ensures greater safety. Until now, cyclists had to use the busy main road. At the same time, the route leads through the charming and protected landscape of the Bohemian Central Mountains. It was built along a railroad line and therefore also has a comfortable gradient.

The new cycle path is a joint project between the two towns, which was also supported by the districts of Ústí nad Labem and Liberec, as it crosses the border between the two districts. However, most of the money came from the state coffers. There is also a connection to another municipality with the branch to Prysk.

In Česká Kamenice, cyclists have a good connection to cycle paths to Stará Oleška or Kunratice and on to Všemily as well as to the Ploučnice cycle path. In Kamenický Šenov, however, the cycle path ends at the train station. However, there are already plans to continue at least as far as the Herrenfelsen (Panská skála) with its typical basalt organ pipes in the near future. Later, the cycle path is to be extended to Česká Lípa.

Fewer eight-year grammar schools

Two districts in the Czech Republic are planning to reduce the number of eight-year grammar schools. While the East Bohemian district of Hradec Králové wants to abolish some classes with eight-year grammar schools for the first time in the coming school year and replace them with four-year grammar schools, the Central Bohemian district has already started this and will continue with the project in the next school year.

In the Czech Republic, elementary school lasts five years. After that, for the first time, there is the option of switching to a so-called eight-year grammar school. A second option is to switch to the eight-year grammar school after seven years. However, most pupils switch to the Gymnasium after nine years, where they take the Abitur within four years. This last option is now to be strengthened in both districts.

The plans are primarily based on the recommendations of education experts. They see the disadvantage of early selection in the eight-year grammar school. In contrast, eight-year grammar schools are very popular with parents. Every year, there is a huge battle for the few places available, which also benefits specialized and not entirely cheap tutoring agencies that prepare the predominantly eleven-year-old primary school pupils for the demanding entrance exams.

North Bohemian winegrowers enjoy a good harvest

Winegrowers in the traditional winegrowing regions on the slopes of the Elbe around Litoměřice and Roudnice are facing an average, if not slightly above-average harvest this fall. Everything now depends on whether the harvest is not affected by too much rain in the last few meters. One way or another, however, this year's problem will not be the same as last year. Back then, a large part of the harvest was destroyed by late frosts in spring, similar to Saxony.

(This is an automatic translation by DeepL Translator.)