Czech news in brief for October 4: Saturday's top headlines

The 2025 Czech parliamentary election ended at 2 p.m. Saturday, with vote counting now underway to decide the next government. Results from most districts are expected by this evening. The race pits former PM Andrej Babiš’s ANO party against Prime Minister Petr Fiala’s Together coalition. Polls suggest up to nine parties may enter parliament, with turnout likely higher than the 65.4 percent recorded in 2021.

Poland intends to reopen talks with Czechia on resolving a decades-old “territorial debt” dispute after Czech parliamentary elections, Fakt.pl reports. Warsaw seeks to reclaim 368 hectares granted to Czechia in a 1958 border settlement. Talks paused before the vote to avoid political controversy. The Czech Foreign Ministry confirmed ongoing dialogue but declined to share details.

Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský said the release of Israeli hostages and the disarmament of Hamas must be the top priority, welcoming US President Donald Trump’s peace initiative. He warned Hamas should not retain power in Gaza. Opposition MP Radek Vondráček also praised the plan’s scope. Hamas has agreed in principle to release hostages and transfer Gaza’s administration to a technocratic government.

Czech writer, playwright, and dissident Ivan Klima died Friday at age 94, his son Michal Klima said. Klima, author of more than 20 books translated into 30 languages, was celebrated for exploring human relationships. Alongside Milan Kundera and Bohumil Hrabal, he is regarded as one of the country’s most prominent authors. He passed away at home, surrounded by his family, following a long illness.

Polling stations reopened Saturday for the second and final day of Czechia’s parliamentary elections, with voting set to end at 2 p.m. Results are expected by evening. Electronic ID cards, allowed for the first time, faced technical issues due to system overload. Postal voting for Czechs abroad debuted this year. Turnout so far appears higher than in the 2021 election.

Czechia’s Digital and Information Agency warned Saturday that problems with electronic ID cards may persist during the second day of parliamentary voting. Voters are urged to bring physical IDs after system overloads disrupted e-ID verification on Friday. About 800,000 Czechs have activated e-Documents, which can be used for voting if updated within 48 hours, officials said.

An off-duty police officer was arrested after fatally shooting a man Friday evening in Prague’s Jarov district, police spokesman Jan Daněk said. Officers responded to a reported conflict around 7:30 p.m., after which shots were fired. Despite first aid at the scene, the victim died. The General Inspection of Security Forces has taken over the investigation.

Police detained 17 pro-Palestinian demonstrators who blocked tram traffic on Národní Street in central Prague Friday evening, spokesman Jan Daněk said. About 30 protesters had sat on the tracks, disrupting transport for over an hour before service resumed. The protest followed Israel’s interception of a flotilla bound for Gaza, in which a Czech activist was detained, officials said.

A total of 2,604 Czechs registered to vote in this year’s parliamentary elections in the United States, the embassy in Washington said Friday, more than double the 2021 figure. Postal voting, introduced this year, attracted 1,127 registrants. Voting was held at embassies and consulates in Washington, New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Officials noted strong participation by young voters and a festive atmosphere.

Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán met former Czech president Václav Klaus Friday in Budapest, where Klaus spoke at a Danube Institute conference marking Margaret Thatcher’s 100th birthday, MTI reported. Klaus praised Orbán’s stance against deeper EU political integration, warning Europe risks moving toward a “Brave New World.” Orbán also said Hungary does not want to share the EU’s burden regarding Ukraine, describing its situation as ongoing conflict with Russia.

A police officer fatally shot a man Friday afternoon in Český Těšín, north Moravia, after he repeatedly attacked a colleague with a knife, police spokesperson Sona Štetinská said. Officers used a Taser before firing several shots when the man continued to assault them. The injured officer was hospitalized. The case is under investigation by the Regional Directorate’s internal control and the General Inspection of Security Forces.