Czech news in brief for October 8: Wednesday's top afternoon headlines

The Prague Transport Company has confirmed it will close the Flora metro station (on the green A line) on Feb. 2 next year for 10 months for a CZK 1.29 billion renovation. The overhaul will replace escalators, modernize facilities, and later add elevators to make the station barrier-free by early 2028. The 1980-built station has never undergone a full reconstruction. City leaders said the upgrade will improve safety and energy efficiency, with similar work planned at Hradčanská and Želivského.

 If the ANO movement forms the next government, it will not allocate money directly from the state budget for weapons to Ukraine, party leader Andrej Babiš said Wednesday. He noted that Czechia already helps via the EU, while domestic arms firms can export freely. Babiš said the Czech-led ammunition initiative for Ukraine should have been managed transparently by NATO and claimed private intermediaries earned tens of billions of crowns. 

Czech unemployment held at 4.5 percent in September, up 0.6 percentage points year on year, the Labor Office said Wednesday. Analysts said stability reflects strong post-summer hiring as most graduates found jobs, though industrial employment continues to decline in favor of services. There were 337,925 job seekers and nearly 96,000 vacancies, little changed from August. Economists warned the slowdown in manufacturing may further weigh on employment, with current unemployment the highest since early 2017.

As much as CZK 80 billion is missing from next year’s state budget, ANO leader Andrej Babiš said Wednesday, adding the deficit may exceed the proposed CZK 286 billion. Former finance minister Alena Schillerová urged the government to rewrite the plan, claiming the real gap could reach CZK 350 billion. Babiš also called for amending the Budget Responsibility Act to loosen limits on spending. The newly elected Chamber of Deputies is expected to debate the revised proposal this autumn.

The Czech Republic is considering donating about 30 upgraded T-72M4CZ tanks to Ukraine, the Defense Ministry said Wednesday. Chief of the General Staff Karel Řehka is expected to recommend the move to the government. The tanks are undergoing final testing and should be delivered to the Czech Army by the end of 2025. The modernized T-72s feature advanced fire control, a 1,000-horsepower engine, and enhanced armor protection, comparable to Russia’s T-90M models.