07.03.2025

Concordat with the Vatican approved

Yesterday, the Czech parliament approved the ratification of an international treaty with the Vatican that regulates various aspects of the relationship between the Catholic Church and the state(here in Czech). The Senate has already approved it, so all that is missing is the signature of President Pavel.

This concordat was and is particularly controversial due to the regulations on the secrecy of the confessional. Critics fear that this could hinder the investigation of allegations of abuse within the Catholic Church. According to Justice Minister Blažek, however, the treaty would not define the scope of the secrecy of the confessional and - unlike similar treaties with other countries - would not declare this right to be inviolable and absolute. Therefore, according to the minister, the situation of abuse victims in the church will not worsen. The Czech Bishops' Conference takes the same view.

In addition to the secrecy of confession, the Concordat states that the Czech Republic guarantees full freedom of thought, conscience and religion in accordance with the legal order. It also guarantees the right to refuse military service and to refuse to provide health services for reasons of conscience or religion under lawful conditions. According to the agreement, marriages entered into in the Catholic Church have the same validity and legal consequences as civil marriages. Both parties will cooperate in the protection and preservation of cultural heritage.

The matter already has a long history: Parliament discussed a draft agreement back in 2003 and did not approve it at the time. And this time, too, it is not yet a done deal, as some MPs have announced that they will appeal to the Constitutional Court. President Pavel will then decide whether he will wait until the court's ruling before signing the treaty. If the treaty is ratified, the Czech Republic would be one of 64 countries worldwide and 25 in Europe with a concordat. Incidentally, the concordat of the Federal Republic of Germany is still the one concluded with Hitler in 1933, which is still in force.

Wages are rising, poverty is falling

The average gross monthly wage in the Czech Republic rose to CZK 49,229 (approx. EUR 1970) in the 4th quarter of 2024 , reports ČTK. This is an increase of 7.2% compared to the same period last year. Less inflation, this means a real wage increase of 4.2%. However, it should be noted that the income of around two thirds of all employees is below the average. The highest average increases were recorded by Czech pensioners.

According to the annual household survey for 2024 (which roughly reflects the situation in spring), the proportion of people with an income below the poverty line fell from 9.8% to 9.5%. There are clear differences between different groups here: While around 9% of all two-parent families suffer from income poverty, this affects around 36% of single parents. Overall, the Czech Statistical Office emphasizes that the Czech Republic is in a relatively good position compared to the EU average.

High turnover from gaming machines

In the Czech Republic, 983 billion crowns (39.20 billion euros) were wagered on games of chance last year, an increase of 12.5% compared to the previous year, according to ČTK. The largest share was accounted for by technical games (78.8%), i.e. primarily slot machines, ahead of sports betting. Around 21.4 billion crowns (853.39 million euros) were collected in taxes from gambling.

By way of comparison: according to a study by the German gaming machine industry, gross revenue of around 5.3 billion euros was generated from gaming machines in Germany in 2022. This is just over a sixth of the turnover generated by vending machines in the Czech Republic, which has around eight times the population. Even if the statistics are certainly not directly comparable due to different counting methods and sources, a ratio of around 46:1 is certainly remarkable.

This makes it clear why gambling machines are seen as a major social problem in many areas with a rather socially disadvantaged population (e.g. in northern Bohemia). A keen eye will also notice the close proximity of gambling dens and pawnbrokers in Ústí, for example.

Better financial support for students

What BAföG is in Germany, the social scholarship in the Czech Republic currently amounts to approx. 5000 CZK (approx. 200 euros). However, the eligibility requirements - particularly with regard to parental income - are very strict, meaning that only around 500 students throughout the Czech Republic can benefit from it. This is not only criticized by student representatives, but all parties in parliament also see an urgent need for change here, as many students have to work on the side and the Czech Republic has had one of the lowest student numbers in the EU for a long time.

The Czech government wants to raise the income limits before the elections in the fall and thus increase the number of eligible students almost twenty-fold. Other parties want to go even further. It is therefore to be expected that the new regulation will pass through parliament and come into force next year.

Every tenth inhabitant of the Czech Republic is a foreigner

The number of foreigners living in the Czech Republic for longer periods (more than 3 months) was 1,094,090 at the end of 2024, according to the Czech Ministry of the Interior. The proportion of foreigners in the Czech Republic is therefore around ten percent. The increase compared to 2023 was around 28,000 people and therefore lower than in previous years.

The TOP 10 countries of origin are as follows (as a percentage of all foreigners)

Czechs split on support for Ukraine

According to a survey commissioned by Czech Television, just over half of the Czech population is in favor of restricting further arms deliveries to Ukraine. The number of those who see a victory for Ukraine with the return of the territories occupied by Russia as the ideal outcome of the war is also roughly equal to the number of those for whom this consists of a ceasefire with territorial cessions (around 48% in each case). As many as 4% of respondents want Russia to win and occupy the whole of Ukraine. Opinions are also roughly split in half for and against continued generous aid for Ukrainian refugees. Nevertheless, around 61% are in favor of tougher sanctions against Russia.

Teacher shortage in the Czech Republic too

It is not only the German school system that is suffering from a shortage of teachers, but also the Czech one. According to the Ministry of Education, there could be a shortfall of around 23,000 qualified teachers at primary and secondary schools by 2035, reports Radio Prague. This could lead to an increase in the proportion of unqualified teachers to 20% (currently 10% at primary schools and 7% at secondary schools). To prevent this from happening, Education Minister Bek wants 5% more student teachers to enrol at universities next semester. The universities, however, make it clear that they are not at all prepared for this.

Liberec's Hejtman Půta survives vote of no confidence

Hejtman of the Liberec district Martin Půta (see Newsletter 6/25), who was found partially guilty in a corruption trial at the beginning of February, has survived a vote of no confidence. The opposition parties, the right-wing populist ANO and the far-right SPD, had sought this because the conviction was not yet final. However, only 20 of the 45 members of the district parliament voted in favor. Půta continues to fight for a complete acquittal.

(This is an automatic translation by DeepL Translator.)