The Czech Republic is closer to a four-day work week and an EU summit to discuss a greener future. In the coming months, the weather will start to warm up, and the final month of May will be chilly.
Czech health minister resigns amid the sale of state-owned properties. housing
Health Minister Petr Arenberger is out of a job, and his replacement, Czech Health Minister Adam Vojtech, has been proposed by Prime Minister Andrej Babiš for head of the department. After refusing to disclose details about his property, Arenberger faced criticism. The minister has announced his resignation, as he claims his family has been put under intolerable pressure. Preceding Zeman's appointment as Czech prime minister, Arenberger was appointed by Zeman on April 7, replacing Blatný, who only lasted five months in the job. Due to an increase in COVID-19 cases, Vojtech unexpectedly resigned in September 2020. Babiš stated that the Zeman administration has not discussed Vojtech's appointment with him.
The EU has showed solidarity with the Czech Republic after their dispute with Russia.
At the EU summit on Monday, EU leaders voiced their support for the Czech Republic's stance in the ongoing diplomatic dispute with Russia, and they supported the Czech response in a collective statement last night. In mid-February, a dispute between the Czech Republic and Russia escalated. The theory that Russian military intelligence was behind the 2014 Vrbetice ammunition depot attacks, in which two Czech citizens were killed, has merit. Russia has vehemently denied the claims. Czech and Russian diplomats were expelled as a result of the incident. At the summit, Russia was condemned for having “illegally, proactively, and disruptively challenged the EU. It was also reported that the EU would implement the same approach to Russia as it previously had, which incorporates economic pressure in the realm of international law as well as cooperation in the areas of mutual benefit. I didn't see any of us discussing expulsion of diplomats as a show of solidarity with the Czech Republic. During the over two-hour debate on relations with Russia, ten days after Russia blacklisted the Czech Republic as an unfriendly country, it was argued extensively that Russia is a dishonest state. Czech Television
EU leaders meet today to debate who will fund the transition to a greener economy.
On Tuesday, EU leaders will discuss the European Union's new focus on low-carbon solutions and who will pay for it. An extensive set of climate policy proposals, including reforms to Europe's carbon market and tougher carbon dioxide standards for cars, is expected to be released by the EU executive Commission in July. Any of the 27 member states' policies must receive approval from the group. On Tuesday, the participants will talk about how to meet the new EU target, which was established last month and aims to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by at with a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 55% compared to 1990 levels. Previously, the target was 40%. Poland and the Czech Republic have proposed an EU modernization fund in order to grant the more developed countries more money for clean energy investments in the poorer countries. The Czech official stated that raising the share of CO2 emission permits set aside for the fund is necessary to help countries that are less affluent achieve climate targets. According to Malácová, who is the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs in the Czech Republic, people in the Czech Republic can look forward to much longer weekends in the years ahead. She explained to CNN Prima News that, by 2030, we will need to be prepared for the introduction of a four-day work week. While Malácová stated that shortening the working week is currently impractical, it will be a popular and discussed topic in the years to come. Minister Childress made reference to low wages in the Czech Republic in the European context as justification for the country to adopt a shortened work week. In terms of both wealth and well-being, the Czech Republic is one of the most developed countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) (OECD). Work hours in Austria, Germany, and the Czech Republic vary substantially. The typical Austrian works about 300 hours more each year than the typical German, and approximately 400 hours more than the typical Czech. In the Czech Republic, employees have eight hours of work time available every day, which means that they work for 50 more days than their German counterparts. They receive half the wages of their western neighbors, but on a purchasing power parity basis, they get paid roughly the same as those in western Europe. This is CNN Prima