Czech news in brief for January 27: Tuesday’s top afternoon headlines

Passenger car production in the Czech Republic fell slightly by 0.5 percent last year to 1.446 million vehicles, according to the Association of the Automotive Industry. Despite the marginal year-on-year decline, the result remains one of the highest in the country’s history. While market leader Škoda Auto saw production growth, overall figures were pulled down by lower output at other domestic plants amid shifting global demand and supply chain adjustments.

Czech opposition parties are calling for Foreign Minister Petr Macinka’s resignation after President Petr Pavel accused him of attempted blackmail over a cabinet appointment. Macinka reportedly warned he would “burn bridges” if Pavel blocked Filip Turek’s appointment as environment minister. Pavel made the texts public and filed a complaint with security services. Macinka denies wrongdoing, while Prime Minister Andrej Babiš called the messages “unfortunate” but not criminal.

Politicians, survivors, and the public gathered across the Czech Republic to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Commemorative events held at the Senate and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs paid tribute to the millions of victims of the Nazi regime. Speakers emphasized the importance of historical memory and vigilance against rising contemporary antisemitism. The date marks the anniversary of the 1945 liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp.

Five Czech citizens have died fighting in Ukraine, at least six are missing, and one is in Russian captivity, the Foreign Ministry said. Diplomats are assisting families, including a Czech volunteer missing since December 2025. Some bodies remain unrecovered due to frontline conditions. The ministry cautioned that the total number of dead or missing Czechs could be higher than currently recorded.

Students from the Opava School of Industry and Art have been selected to redesign the facade of the local Mondelez factory, famous for producing Fidorka and Tatranky biscuits. Two winning student designs will transform the building’s exterior into a vibrant visual history of Opava’s baking traditions. The project, set to begin this spring, aims to connect the industrial site with the city’s cultural identity through creative street-level art.