Derweil in Tschechien... 6/26
13.02.2026
Ústí district approves zoning for lithium mining
The deputies of the Ústí region approved the designation of a corridor for lithium mining near Cínovec in the Ore Mountains on Monday, after the decision was postponed in December. At that time, some MPs had questions that needed to be answered first.
The mining plans are being driven forward by the company Geomet, which is 51% owned by the ČEZ Group and 49% by the Australian holding company EMH. A representative of ČEZ answered the questions of the delegates, but not to everyone's satisfaction. Some representatives complained that the issue of the fees that the investor would pay to the affected municipalities was unclear. For example, the mayor of Dubí, Jiří Kašpar, is demanding CZK 100 million per year. ČEZ, on the other hand, stated that Dubí would receive CZK 800 million over 25 years of extraction for the extracted raw materials alone, i.e. only CZK 32 million per year. MP Papajanovský said that the state could count on CZK 1.1 billion in taxes annually, of which the Ústí district would receive CZK 100 million.
The meeting was also attended by citizens from the region, most of whom were critical and feared for their quality of life. They felt that the investor had not sufficiently addressed the concerns of the municipalities.
ČEZ promises to invest CZK 42 billion in the project, creating 2,000 direct jobs and a further 2,000 indirect jobs. The processing plant is to be built in Prunéřov in the Chomutov district, where the ore from Cínovec will be transported by rail.
In the end, 38 MPs voted in favor of the corresponding amendment to the principles of spatial development, 5 were against and 5 abstained. This represents a further formal step in the planning process.
Yesterday, the Minister of Industry and Trade, Karel Havlíček (ANO), explained in the Chamber of Deputies in response to a question from Papajanovský that the state does not currently envisage any special compensation for the Ústí nad Labem region for the planned lithium mining in the Ore Mountains. According to Havlíček, if compensation were introduced, other regions affected by mining could also demand it. In his opinion, jobs would be created in the region, all the usual taxes and duties would be paid there and new business opportunities would be created.
Czech Republic improves in the corruption index
After 46th place last year, the Czech Republic has risen to 39th place in Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index for 2025. A representative of the organization said: "Under the Fiala government, confidence has increased that corruption is not systemically rooted in the Czech Republic. This means that rules are not being circumvented on a large scale in order to favor a few small interest groups. In fact, a number of anti-corruption laws were passed last year, for example in relation to whistleblowers or lobbying." Referring to Prime Minister Babiš's conflict of interest as an entrepreneur, he also spoke of uncertainties regarding further developments.
The Czech Republic has thus returned to its 2018 ranking and, with 59 out of a possible 100 points in the Corruption Index, is slightly below the EU average of 62 points. Germany is in 10th place with 77 points, while Slovakia is in 61st place with 48 points, one point and two places lower than in 2024.
Czechs are optimistic about the future
Last week, the European Parliament presented the results of the Eurobarometer, for which around 26,500 people in the EU were surveyed in November last year, including around 1,000 in the Czech Republic. In terms of expectations for the future, the Czech Republic scored significantly better than the EU average of 44% with 57% positive responses. At the same time, 42% of respondents consider EU membership to be a good thing (the EU average is 64%), just as many are undecided and 15% consider it to be a bad thing.
A survey conducted by the renowned Czech institute STEM in October 2025 with 1023 participants, the results of which were published yesterday, showed somewhat different results in terms of EU membership. According to the results, 57% of Czechs are satisfied with EU membership, the highest figure since 2010. Just under two thirds of respondents would vote against the Czech Republic leaving the EU. Only around 23% are in favor of the introduction of the euro in the Czech Republic.
Czech MEPs expelled from EP group
Czech MEP Nikola Bartůšek has been expelled from the "Patriots for Europe" group in the European Parliament, it was announced on Monday. The newspaper Deník N reports that the reason for this is a system of nepotism (similar to the one that recently came to light in Saxony-Anhalt): Nikola Bartůšek's husband would have worked for Czech MEP Ondřej Dostál, while in return she would have recommended Dostál's wife for her group's secretariat. What is interesting in this case is that Bartůšek entered Parliament for the far-right Přísaha party, while Dostál ran on the list of the Communist-led Stačilo! coalition. Cooperation for the benefit of the family thus spans the entire political spectrum here and shows that even representatives from far-flung political camps can work well together.
There is now also pressure on Nikola Bartůšek to leave the Přísaha party. Its founder owes his fame to a corruption investigation that he led. In the last parliamentary elections in the Czech Republic in 2025, Přísaha failed with just 1.08% of the vote. The movement had entered the European Parliament in 2024 on a joint list with the Motorists, although this success was probably mainly due to the latter. However, both seats are now held by Přísaha after Filip Turek won a seat in the Czech Parliament and resigned his EP mandate (and will now not be appointed Environment Minister by President Pavel).
Actress Jana Brejchová passes away
Czech actress Jana Brejchová has died at the age of 86, her daughter announced last weekend. She was one of the best-known and most popular actresses in Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic and appeared in over 100 films. She was honored with both a Bohemian Lion for her life's work and a state award for her services to culture and art. The Ministers of Culture and Sport have proposed to the government that a funeral with state honours be organized for Brejchová. The last artist to receive this honor was Karel Gott in 2019.
Brejchová first appeared in front of the camera at the age of 13 in the film "Olověný chléb" (Lead Bread; GDR title: ). One of her best-known roles was in the 1960 film "Vyšší princip" (The Higher Principle), for which she received an award at the Locarno International Film Festival. This film and "Probuzení" (Awakening) from 1959 were already screened at the Czech Film Wednesday. She is probably also known to many for her role as the Queen in the popular fairytale series "Arabela" (The Fairytale Bride).
Reading marathon in Ústí
The Ústí Regional Library will try to set a new record next week: With a 130-hour reading marathon, an entry in the Czech Book of Records is to be made. From 10 a.m. on Monday to 8 p.m. on Saturday, around 200 people will read aloud around the clock, including well-known personalities, authors and partners of the library from the cultural scene. The event will be broadcast live on YouTube. After last year's 80-hour reading marathon, the Ústí nad Labem Regional Library is setting the bar even higher. "Symbolically, the event ties in with the 130th anniversary of the founding of the German library in Ústí nad Labem," said Veronika Balcarová, spokesperson for the library in Ústí. The campaign also raises funds for the rescue of wild animals. If you speak Czech, you can find all the information on the library's website.