Czech news in brief for October 14: Tuesday’s top morning headlines

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy spoke with Czech President Petr Pavel on continuing support for Ukraine, including the Czech-led artillery shell initiative, Zelenskiy said Monday. They discussed ways to strengthen Ukraine’s defense amid ongoing Russian drone strikes. Zelenskiy noted that follow-up work between teams will proceed promptly, underscoring Czechia’s early and continued backing of Ukraine in the full-scale conflict.

Talks between ANO, the Motorists, and SPD on forming Czechia’s new government have agreed there will be no discussion of leaving the EU or NATO, including via referendum, ANO vice chair Karel Havlíček said Monday. The coalition negotiations, focusing on economic priorities and budget planning, aim to present a policy agenda and ministerial lineup to President Petr Pavel by mid-November.

Social media expert Daniel Docekal told CTK that Controversial Facebook posts allegedly written by newly elected Motorists MP Filip Turek were likely collected before he deleted them. The posts reportedly included racist, sexist, homophobic, and Nazi-era references. While deleted posts can be retrieved through archiving tools or services, screenshots’ authenticity may be altered over time. Docekal noted that Turek continues to make similar statements on social media.

Czech banks and building societies issued CZK 37.6 billion in mortgages in September, up 14 percent from August, according to the Czech Banking Association. New loans without refinancing totaled CZK 29.6 billion. The number of mortgages reached a 44-month high at 6,795, up 30 percent year-on-year. Average interest rates remained near August levels at 4.52 percent, while the average loan exceeded CZK 4.3 million, raising typical monthly payments by CZK 2,400.

Monika Novotna was elected chair of the Czech Bar Association, becoming the first woman to lead the organization. Novotna, a tax and administrative law specialist and former vice-chair since 2021, replaces Robert Nemec, who stepped down to return to legal practice. Lukas Trojan, Michala Plachka, and Ondrej Trubac were elected vice-chairs, the CAK board announced Thursday, following a secret ballot.