Czech news in brief for November 15: Saturday’s top afternoon headlines

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán described Czechs as the most rational people in Europe, saying they would not support foreign policies costing them “even a penny” and would favor peace. Speaking at a “pro-peace gathering” in Györ, he called former Czech finance minister Andrej Babiš a “fantastic man” and praised his financial acumen. Orbán also criticized ongoing hostilities in Ukraine, claiming the country is not fully sovereign without European financial support.

Czech police have issued a warning about a sophisticated scam using a fake website nearly identical to the official portal for buying highway tolls. Users who entered payment details lost thousands of crowns to foreign accounts, without receiving any valid tolls. Authorities blocked the domain but urged continued vigilance, stressing only edalnice.cz or edalnice.gov.cz are official and advising careful checking of URLs and avoiding suspicious links.

Emil, a moose roaming Šumava National Park, recently joined visitors on a walk, ignoring attempts to part ways. The animal has been seen in the area for some time and previously needed police help to leave a private garden on Klatovsko, where he had been eating apples. Emil has also traveled across Czechia and Slovakia, reaching Austria, though his GPS tracker is no longer working.

A young Czech woman died Friday evening in Blindenmarkt, Austria, while train surfing with a group of friends, police said. Her body was found between St. Georgen am Ybbsfelde and Blindenmarkt after a search involving a drone. The ICE line was closed for several hours. Authorities are working with Czech officials to confirm her identity. Train surfing is illegal and extremely dangerous.

Next year’s municipal and Senate elections in Czechia are expected to cost CZK 1.05 billion, CZK 256 million more than this year’s parliamentary vote, according to the 2026 draft state budget. Municipalities and regions will receive CZK 742 million, while political parties are allocated nearly CZK 589 million in state contributions. Total spending on representative bodies and elections is projected at almost CZK 3.6 billion, an 11 percent increase compared to 2025.

From today, doors on Prague’s metro will open automatically to reduce contact amid a hepatitis A epidemic. do you find the city’s public transport hygienic?