Prague Airport, a CZK 76 Billion Tunnel, and a Czech Citizen's Case in China: Friday's Top Czech News

Several major stories dominated the Czech news cycle on Friday afternoon — from a possible prisoner exchange between Prague and Beijing to the privatisation of Prague Airport and a heated debate over single women's access to IVF treatment.

The Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Justice will handle the case of a Czech citizen detained in China, Foreign Minister Petr Macinka told reporters as his visit to Croatia was wrapping up. The statement came after a meeting in Beijing between Chamber of Deputies Speaker Tomio Okamura and Zhao Leji, chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress. According to media reports, Czech intelligence services suspect that the detention of the Czech citizen in China may be linked to Beijing's attempt to trade him for a Chinese national arrested in Prague in late June.

The current government, in office since December, had pledged to improve relations with China after ties soured under the previous cabinet over its support for Taiwan. The recent tit-for-tat detentions, however, appear to have put those plans on hold.

Finance Minister Alena Schillerová confirmed that the government may partially privatise Prague Airport in the future, though she stressed that no concrete steps have been taken yet. Her remarks came just days after Prime Minister Andrej Babiš mentioned plans to list 40% of the airport's shares on the stock exchange to attract investment and drive growth. Airport trade unions have already threatened to strike, citing both the privatisation plans and the appointment of a new director. The opposition has also criticised the move, arguing that the country's main airport is critical infrastructure that should remain under full state control.

Health Minister Adam Vojtěch's proposal to grant single women access to assisted reproductive technologies has run into strong resistance during inter-ministerial negotiations. The ministry's ethics commission also expressed mixed views on the matter. Officials have framed the bill as a way to boost the country's birth rate and correct an injustice, since single women currently have no right to IVF. Critics, however, point to an obvious conflict of interest: through his Agrofert-linked Hartenberg Holding, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš controls more than 60 IVF clinics across Czechia and other European countries, giving him a direct financial stake in expanding access to the treatment.

Construction of a railway tunnel between Prague and Beroun will cost roughly CZK 76 billion — significantly more than initial estimates, the Railway Administration has reported. The project is still at the geological survey and preparatory stage. Construction of the 25-kilometre tunnel is expected to begin around 2032, with completion set 12 years later. It is one of the largest transport infrastructure projects in Czechia, designed to speed up connections between Prague and the west of the country, as well as with Germany.

President Petr Pavel welcomed the two Czech finalists of this year's Wimbledon tournament at Prague Castle. "I want to thank you for reawakening genuine Czech patriotism, if only for a moment. It doesn't always last long, but it always brings the nation together," the president said, donning a cap bearing the tournament's logo. Linda Nosková defeated fellow Czech Karolína Muchová in a thrilling all-Czech final, becoming Wimbledon's youngest champion in 15 years.

Source: expats.cz