What Czechia is writing about: Babiš wanted to dismiss Turek, Macinka talked him out of it. Kupka called Macinka Babiš's "lapdog"

According to Deník N, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš wanted to dismiss Motorists MP and government commissioner for the Green Deal Filip Turek over his statement that he "gives tasks to" Environment Minister Igor Červený, but Motorists chairman Petr Macinka talked him out of it ahead of the approaching municipal and Senate elections, and the dispute ultimately landed on President Petr Pavel's head. In the negotiations over the 2027 budget, the opposition ODS dusted off the return of the waiting period, which the Motorists had failed to push through in government, and its chairman Martin Kupka called Macinka Babiš's "obedient lapdog" during a television debate. The conference of the Svatopluk association, which a Russian political scientist on the EU sanctions list joined online, was attended by SPD MP Jindřich Rajchl and former president Miloš Zeman; before the event, Kupka called on Babiš to "send Rajchl to the Urals".

Babiš wanted to dismiss Turek, dispute over "tasking" continues even after reconciliation with Pavel

According to Deník N, after MP Filip Turek's statement that he "gives tasks to" Environment Minister Igor Červený, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš wanted to immediately dismiss Turek from his position as government commissioner for the Green Deal, but Motorists chairman Petr Macinka talked him out of it ahead of the approaching municipal and Senate elections. Deník N ↗ A week later, the dispute returned: according to iROZHLAS, Macinka told Turek that he did not like his statement about "tasking", but he continues to publicly defend him by arguing that President Petr Pavel himself "significantly damaged" Turek. iROZHLAS ↗ Aktuálně.cz added that, according to Macinka, Turek was merely reacting quickly to a journalist's question with his remark, and that the whole affair is "Pavel's fault". Aktuálně.cz ↗ Novinky.cz similarly reported that Macinka stood up for Turek, even though his "tasking" of the minister bothers him. Novinky.cz ↗

Meanwhile, another dispute served as a reminder of the internal tension at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: when journalist Tomáš Etzler wrote about "hell" and disarray at the ministry, Macinka, according to Forum24, responded only with mocking emojis and the jibe "Rozplakali i mě, Ketzler" [a mocking wordplay on the journalist's name]. Forum 24 ↗ Macinka and President Pavel finally shook hands publicly again after a long time – according to Novinky.cz, this happened at Prague Castle during a visit by the Jordanian king. Novinky.cz ↗

2027 budget back on the table, Kupka called Macinka a "lapdog"

The opposition ODS entered the budget dispute, which was supposed to be settled by Thursday's coalition agreement, with a proposal to reinstate the so-called waiting period, i.e. the first three days of sick leave without sickness benefits – according to iROZHLAS, the Motorists failed to push this through in government, and ODS chairman Martin Kupka now wants to push it through directly in the Chamber of Deputies. iROZHLAS ↗ Novinky.cz and Aktuálně.cz both reported that the Motorists failed to secure the return of the waiting period within the governing coalition due to SPD's disagreement, so the opposition has now taken it up. Novinky.cz ↗ Aktuálně.cz ↗ In the TV Nova debate "Za pět minut dvanáct", Kupka and Macinka clashed more sharply – according to iDNES.cz, Kupka accused him of being Babiš's "obedient lapdog". iDNES.cz ↗ Forum24 added that in the same debate they also argued about inclusion and the Turek affair, with Kupka accusing Macinka of being "left-wing at heart". Forum 24 ↗

Zeman and Rajchl at event with Putin's ideologue, opposition sharply critical

On Saturday, SPD MP Jindřich Rajchl and former president Miloš Zeman attended an all-day conference of the Svatopluk association on cooperation between Central Europe and BRICS, Lidovky.cz reported – Russian political scientist Fjodor Lukjanov, whom the EU has placed on its sanctions list as a leading Kremlin propagandist, also joined them online. Lidovky.cz ↗ Even before the event, according to Novinky.cz, ODS chairman Martin Kupka called on Prime Minister Babiš to "send Rajchl to the Urals". Novinky.cz ↗ Seznam Zprávy noted that the Motorists' foreign policy expert Jan Zahradil cancelled his participation in the event after being questioned by them. Seznam Zprávy ↗ The dispute was further complicated by Babiš's claim that Czechia faces a Russian hybrid war – in a Respekt podcast, this was met with the question of what coalition partners Okamura and Macinka think about it. Respekt ↗ A Forum24 commentary praised Babiš's "awakening" as belated, while also asking whether the prime minister would address the same hybrid threat within his own coalition in the form of SPD. Forum 24 ↗

Cimický case: court upholds sentence, questions arise over decades of silence

The appellate court on Friday upheld former psychiatrist Jan Cimický's five-year prison sentence and ten-year ban on practicing for four sexual assaults and 35 counts of blackmail, Respekt reported. Respekt ↗ In a separate analysis, Seznam Zprávy asked why the scandal had been successfully covered up on four separate occasions. Seznam Zprávy ↗ In a second article, they noted that according to the judge, female doctors had known about Cimický's behavior since the 1980s but did not report it. Seznam Zprávy ↗ Despite the final conviction, the Medical Chamber cannot expel him from its ranks – according to iDNES.cz, its rules do not allow this. iDNES.cz ↗

Under the radar

The new definition of dependent work, approved in late August by the ANO, SPD and Motorists cabinet, could legalize 70 to 90 percent of today's "švarcsystém" and affect 50,000 to 80,000 people, according to research organization PAQ Research, Novinky.cz writes. Novinky.cz ↗ ČMKOS trade union confederation chairman Josef Středula warned Radiožurnál after Thursday's tripartite negotiations that if half a million employees switched to self-employed status, public budgets would lose 120 billion crowns, iROZHLAS reported. iROZHLAS ↗ The two-day NATO Days, the largest security show in Europe, kicked off at Mošnov Airport near Ostrava, with the president and prime minister expected to attend, iDNES.cz wrote. iDNES.cz ↗ The security theme is also tied to a real-life intervention – Czech Gripen fighter jets from the Pardubice base, according to Aktuálně.cz, took off to monitor the area near Poland's eastern border because of Russian drones, which ultimately struck targets on the Ukrainian side of the Yahodyn border crossing, just three kilometers from the border. Aktuálně.cz ↗ In a STEM/MARK agency poll, Petr Pavel remains the favorite for any future presidential election, followed by Andrej Babiš and actor Marek Eben, Novinky.cz reported. Novinky.cz ↗ A Reflex commentary also speculates that the coalition may have found a joint presidential candidate in former diplomat Jakub Landovský, though the author says his chances are threatened by the coalition's current dynamics. Reflex.cz ↗

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