Thousands of Czechs celebrated the coming end of most COVID-19 restrictions in the country with a dinner in the capital on Tuesday night.

Dinner on Prague bridge to celebrate easing

Czechs parked their cars to watch plays and film screenings in Prague as the country eases out of a lockdown imposed to curb the spread of the coronavirus infection.

Czechs park up for drive-in theatre, cinema as lockdown eases

Russia has formally protested to the Czech Foreign Ministry over a media report claiming that their spies may have plotted to poison the mayor of Prague and another local official.

Respekt weekly had, on Monday, claimed that Czech intelligence services suspected a Russian agent was sent to Prague three weeks ago to poison Prague mayor Zdenek Hrib and Prague 6 district's Mayor Ondrej Kolar with ricin -- a highly potent toxin.

The Russian embassy in Prague, to this end, clarified in a statement: "The allegations in the story are absolutely baseless and designed to 'discredit' Russia."

Hrib and Kolar have both angered Moscow and both have been strongly criticised recently by Russian officials.

(with inputs)

Russia has formally protested to the Czech Foreign Ministry over a media report claiming that their spies may have plotted to poison the mayor of Prague and another local official.

Russia has formally protested to the Czech Foreign Ministry over a media report claiming that their spies may have plotted to poison the mayor of Prague and another local official. Respekt weekly had, on Monday, claimed that Czech intelligence services suspected a Russian agent was sent to Prague three weeks ago to poison Prague mayor Zdenek Hrib and Prague 6 district's Mayor Ondrej Kolar with ricin -- a highly potent toxin. The Russian embassy in Prague, to this end, clarified in a statement: "The allegations in the story are absolutely baseless and designed to 'discredit' Russia." Hrib and Kolar have both angered Moscow and both have been strongly criticised recently by Russian officials. (with inputs)

Russia dismisses reports of plot to poison Prague mayor

Eight people were killed and 30 were injured in a fire at a Czech home for people with disabilities early on Sunday, fire and state officials said.

The blaze occurred in a home where mostly men with mental and other disabilities lived, in Vejprty on the country's northwest border with Germany.

It was the second deadliest blaze in the country's three-decade post-communist history. In 2010, a fire in an abandoned building often used by homeless people in Prague killed nine people. A hotel fire in the capital in 1995 killed eight.

The fire at the Vejprty home started in one room before spreading to three others, Michal Zavora, commanding officer of the region's fire services, told state broadcaster Czech Television.

He said the eight died from smoke inhalation.

<img alt="A police officer cordons off the area next to a home for people with disabilities which was affected by a fire in Vejprty" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d9d678bc-b7a5-4fae-846a-535713ac0321" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%2833%29_0.jpg" /> 
[ A police officer cordons off the area next to a home for people with disabilities which was affected by a fire in Vejprty (Courtesy: Reuters) ]&nbsp;

Prime Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/volodymyr-zelensky-says-ukraine-getting-tired-of-trump-scandal-263215">Andrej Babis</a> travelled to Vejprty, about 130 km (80 miles) northwest of Prague, and promised state help with the investigation into the fire, whose cause was unknown.

"It is a huge tragedy," he told reporters.

The blaze was reported just before 5 a.m. (0400 GMT) on Sunday. Firefighters were on the scene within 10 minutes and able to keep the fire from spreading.

Poor weather prevented helicopters from being able to help transport of those injured. German rescue units took part in the operation, officials said.

Among the injured was a police officer but none of the home's workers was hurt.

The centre housed people aged from 18 to the elderly, according to Czech TV.

Eight people were killed and 30 were injured in a fire at a Czech home for people with disabilities early on Sunday, fire and state officials said. The blaze occurred in a home where mostly men with mental and other disabilities lived, in Vejprty on the country's northwest border with Germany.

Eight people were killed and 30 were injured in a fire at a Czech home for people with disabilities early on Sunday, fire and state officials said. The blaze occurred in a home where mostly men with mental and other disabilities lived, in Vejprty on the country's northwest border with Germany. It was the second deadliest blaze in the country's three-decade post-communist history. In 2010, a fire in an abandoned building often used by homeless people in Prague killed nine people. A hotel fire in the capital in 1995 killed eight. The fire at the Vejprty home started in one room before spreading to three others, Michal Zavora, commanding officer of the region's fire services, told state broadcaster Czech Television. He said the eight died from smoke inhalation. [ A police officer cordons off the area next to a home for people with disabilities which was affected by a fire in Vejprty (Courtesy: Reuters) ] Prime Minister Andrej Babis travelled to Vejprty, about 130 km (80 miles) northwest of Prague, and promised state help with the investigation into the fire, whose cause was unknown. "It is a huge tragedy," he told reporters. The blaze was reported just before 5 a.m. (0400 GMT) on Sunday. Firefighters were on the scene within 10 minutes and able to keep the fire from spreading. Poor weather prevented helicopters from being able to help transport of those injured. German rescue units took part in the operation, officials said. Among the injured was a police officer but none of the home's workers was hurt. The centre housed people aged from 18 to the elderly, according to Czech TV.

Fire at Czech home for disabled people kills eight

Barcelona were booed off the pitch by their supporters as their patchy form continued with a 0-0 draw at home to Slavia Prague in their Champions League Group F game on Tuesday.

Ernesto Valverde's side had fallen to a 3-1<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/barcelona-crash-to-defeat-at-levante-after-second-half-collapse-259630"> defeat at Levante</a> in La Liga on the weekend and could not give the rousing response they craved, failing to break down a diligent and bold Slavia side.

With Luis Suarez injured, Barca lacked a cutting edge and visiting goalkeeper Ondrej Kolar produced an admirable display to shut out the Catalans, thwarting Lionel Messi and Sergi Roberto from close range in the second half.

Messi also struck the top of the post in the first period following a thrilling solo charge from his own half and then teed up Arturo Vidal for a tap-in late in the game but the effort was ruled out for offside against the Argentine.

"Playing like this it's difficult to see us winning the Champions League," said Barca defender Gerard Pique.

"We had chances to score but the ball wouldn't go in. Results aren't going our way in these last two games, and when you go two games without winning at Barca the fans expect more because expectations are so high."

Barca lead the group on eight points after four games, while Slavia are bottom with two.

The Czechs, who were unfortunate to lose 2-1 at home to Barcelona two weeks ago, made a bright start and nearly took an early lead with a heavily-deflected shot which was repelled by the Catalans' goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

They did manage to find the net at the end of the first half but the goal was disallowed for a clear offside.

The visitors had bright spells in the second half although they did not manage to test Ter Stegen further, and angry boos and whistles rang out around the Camp Nou at fulltime.

"It's a difficult moment for us but the fans have the right to express how they feel and it's up to us to deal with it," said Barca defender Clement Lenglet.

"We knew Slavia were a dangerous opponent who had quality and we were not taken by surprise by them. We suffered at various stages of the game.

"We don't have any time to sit around and get worried, we have to keep working and play every three days. We're going to turn this around."

There was more bad news for Barca after the game, with the club revealing first-choice left back Jordi Alba had injured his hamstring.

The club's statement did not say how long the Spaniard would be out for but Spanish media reports said he could be missing for three weeks.

Barcelona were booed off the pitch by their supporters as their patchy form continued with a 0-0 draw at home to Slavia Prague in their Champions League Group F game on Tuesday.

Barcelona were booed off the pitch by their supporters as their patchy form continued with a 0-0 draw at home to Slavia Prague in their Champions League Group F game on Tuesday. Ernesto Valverde's side had fallen to a 3-1 defeat at Levante in La Liga on the weekend and could not give the rousing response they craved, failing to break down a diligent and bold Slavia side. With Luis Suarez injured, Barca lacked a cutting edge and visiting goalkeeper Ondrej Kolar produced an admirable display to shut out the Catalans, thwarting Lionel Messi and Sergi Roberto from close range in the second half. Messi also struck the top of the post in the first period following a thrilling solo charge from his own half and then teed up Arturo Vidal for a tap-in late in the game but the effort was ruled out for offside against the Argentine. "Playing like this it's difficult to see us winning the Champions League," said Barca defender Gerard Pique. "We had chances to score but the ball wouldn't go in. Results aren't going our way in these last two games, and when you go two games without winning at Barca the fans expect more because expectations are so high." Barca lead the group on eight points after four games, while Slavia are bottom with two. The Czechs, who were unfortunate to lose 2-1 at home to Barcelona two weeks ago, made a bright start and nearly took an early lead with a heavily-deflected shot which was repelled by the Catalans' goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen. They did manage to find the net at the end of the first half but the goal was disallowed for a clear offside. The visitors had bright spells in the second half although they did not manage to test Ter Stegen further, and angry boos and whistles rang out around the Camp Nou at fulltime. "It's a difficult moment for us but the fans have the right to express how they feel and it's up to us to deal with it," said Barca defender Clement Lenglet. "We knew Slavia were a dangerous opponent who had quality and we were not taken by surprise by them. We suffered at various stages of the game. "We don't have any time to sit around and get worried, we have to keep working and play every three days. We're going to turn this around." There was more bad news for Barca after the game, with the club revealing first-choice left back Jordi Alba had injured his hamstring. The club's statement did not say how long the Spaniard would be out for but Spanish media reports said he could be missing for three weeks.

Champions League: Camp Nou turns on toothless Barca after draw with Slavia

Lionel Messi claimed another goal-scoring record as Barcelona edged a spirited Slavia Prague 2-1 on Wednesday to stay top of Champions League Group F.

Messi opened the scoring after three minutes, beating Slavia goalkeeper Ondrej Kolar with a low left-footed shot to become the first player ever to score at least once in 15 consecutive Champions League seasons.

The 32-year-old Argentinian first robbed midfielder Petr Sevcik outside the Slavia box before an exchange with Arthur put him neatly through the static Slavia defence.

Barca earned a second on 57 minutes when Slavia winger Peter Olayinka deflected a Luis Suarez close-range shot from an impossible angle into his own nett as the hosts failed to clear Messi's free-kick.

Olayinka sealed Barca's sixth straight competitive win but deprived Suarez of a goal that would end his four-year drought in away games in European cup competitions.

Before that, left-back Jan Boril equalised for Slavia five minutes after half-time, capitalising on a superb pass threaded by Lukas Masopust that found him one-on-one with goalkeeper Marc Andre ter Stegen.

Barcelona top Group F with seven points from three games and are three ahead of Inter Milan who beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0. Slavia sits at the bottom with a single point.

"The result could have been better, but Slavia took risks, they played very well and made us defend a lot," said Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde.

"We started very well, we dominated the game, but we also lost the ball a few times and they threatened,&nbsp;they really made us suffer because when they struggle, they boost their offence and that's exactly what they did today."

He added: "We are at the top of the table and we play the next two games at home. They will show us where we are."

Commenting on Messi making history, Valverde said: "It is really an incredible record. I hope Leo will continue to do well."

Slavia coach Jindrich Trpisovsky bemoaned Slavia's bad luck with the ugly second goal.

"It's a shame to lose with a goal like this," he said.

Valverde made two changes from last weekend's 3-0 win at Eibar, calling up Nelson Semedo and Gerard Pique to replace Samuel Umtiti and Sergi Roberto, both sidelined with knee injuries.

Jaroslav Zeleny almost grabbed a goal for Slavia on 20 minutes after a superb pass from Boril, but his shot bounced off the feet of a diving ter Stegen.

At the other end of the pitch, Messi curled a free-kick into the Slavia box but Clement Lenglet's poke was too weak to surprise Kolar, while minutes later Suarez blasted the ball over the crossbar.

Slavia came close again when Zeleny put through Masopust whose low shot was stopped by ter Stegen, and only seconds later the German keeper had a hard time clearing Olayinka's shot over the crossbar.

Kolar then denied Suarez after a fine pass from Messi before kicking out Frenkie de Jong's powerful low attempt from inside the box.

Slavia had a third good chance just before half-time, but Lukas Masopust missed narrowly with a low left-footed effort across the goal.

"The opening minutes were dreadful, but if I look beyond the first twenty minutes I must say the boys played a fantastic game," said Trpisovsky.

After the break, Slavia midfielder Nicolae Stanciu missed narrowly from long range and skipper Tomas Soucek headed over the crossbar.

Messi saw two shots cleared by Kolar and failed to finish into a gaping goal, while Suarez's low shot went just wide.

Slavia put the visitors under heavy pressure in the closing minutes but the Barcelona defence did a good job blocking all their shots and ter Stegen stopped Olayinka's stoppage-time header on the line.

Lionel Messi claimed another goal-scoring record as Barcelona edged a spirited Slavia Prague 2-1 on Wednesday to stay top of Champions League Group F. Messi opened the scoring after three minutes, beating Slavia goalkeeper Ondrej Kolar with a low left-footed shot to become the first player ever to score at least once in 15 consecutive Champions League seasons.

Lionel Messi claimed another goal-scoring record as Barcelona edged a spirited Slavia Prague 2-1 on Wednesday to stay top of Champions League Group F. Messi opened the scoring after three minutes, beating Slavia goalkeeper Ondrej Kolar with a low left-footed shot to become the first player ever to score at least once in 15 consecutive Champions League seasons. The 32-year-old Argentinian first robbed midfielder Petr Sevcik outside the Slavia box before an exchange with Arthur put him neatly through the static Slavia defence. Barca earned a second on 57 minutes when Slavia winger Peter Olayinka deflected a Luis Suarez close-range shot from an impossible angle into his own nett as the hosts failed to clear Messi's free-kick. Olayinka sealed Barca's sixth straight competitive win but deprived Suarez of a goal that would end his four-year drought in away games in European cup competitions. Before that, left-back Jan Boril equalised for Slavia five minutes after half-time, capitalising on a superb pass threaded by Lukas Masopust that found him one-on-one with goalkeeper Marc Andre ter Stegen. Barcelona top Group F with seven points from three games and are three ahead of Inter Milan who beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0. Slavia sits at the bottom with a single point. "The result could have been better, but Slavia took risks, they played very well and made us defend a lot," said Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde. "We started very well, we dominated the game, but we also lost the ball a few times and they threatened, they really made us suffer because when they struggle, they boost their offence and that's exactly what they did today." He added: "We are at the top of the table and we play the next two games at home. They will show us where we are." Commenting on Messi making history, Valverde said: "It is really an incredible record. I hope Leo will continue to do well." Slavia coach Jindrich Trpisovsky bemoaned Slavia's bad luck with the ugly second goal. "It's a shame to lose with a goal like this," he said. Valverde made two changes from last weekend's 3-0 win at Eibar, calling up Nelson Semedo and Gerard Pique to replace Samuel Umtiti and Sergi Roberto, both sidelined with knee injuries. Jaroslav Zeleny almost grabbed a goal for Slavia on 20 minutes after a superb pass from Boril, but his shot bounced off the feet of a diving ter Stegen. At the other end of the pitch, Messi curled a free-kick into the Slavia box but Clement Lenglet's poke was too weak to surprise Kolar, while minutes later Suarez blasted the ball over the crossbar. Slavia came close again when Zeleny put through Masopust whose low shot was stopped by ter Stegen, and only seconds later the German keeper had a hard time clearing Olayinka's shot over the crossbar. Kolar then denied Suarez after a fine pass from Messi before kicking out Frenkie de Jong's powerful low attempt from inside the box. Slavia had a third good chance just before half-time, but Lukas Masopust missed narrowly with a low left-footed effort across the goal. "The opening minutes were dreadful, but if I look beyond the first twenty minutes I must say the boys played a fantastic game," said Trpisovsky. After the break, Slavia midfielder Nicolae Stanciu missed narrowly from long range and skipper Tomas Soucek headed over the crossbar. Messi saw two shots cleared by Kolar and failed to finish into a gaping goal, while Suarez's low shot went just wide. Slavia put the visitors under heavy pressure in the closing minutes but the Barcelona defence did a good job blocking all their shots and ter Stegen stopped Olayinka's stoppage-time header on the line.

Messi's historic goal helps Barcelona edge Slavia Prague

Czech billionaire Prime Minister Andrej Babis said Saturday he would not resign if indicted for his alleged role in a two-million-euro EU subsidy fraud.

Police this week recommended that Babis be indicted over the case which could see him and several others, including family members, spending five to ten years in prison.

"I would not resign because I have been saying from the beginning that this is a political process," Babis told the DNES broadsheet which he owns.

The 64-year-old agro-chemicals mogul pegged by Forbes as the second-wealthiest Czech is suspected of abusing EU funds to build the luxury Stork Nest resort and farm near Prague in 2007.

He allegedly took the farm out of his sprawling Agrofert food, chemicals and media holding to make it eligible for a subsidy awarded to small companies before eventually putting it back.

Charged by police in 2017, Babis and several others -- including his wife, brother-in-law and daughter -- are suspected of subsidy fraud and harming the EU's financial interests.

"If I weren't in politics, nobody would have heard about the Stork Nest," Babis told DNES.

"People keep plotting affairs against me, delving into the past. This affair is 12 years old," he said, calling charges against his family "incredible filth".

President Milos Zeman, who could remove the embattled prime minister, said Thursday he would not do so.

"An indicted prime minister is not a sentenced prime minister," said the 74-year-old pro-Russian, pro-Chinese veteran left-winger and a staunch Babis ally.&nbsp;

The prime minister's populist ANO movement leads a minority coalition government with leftwing Social Democrats.

It also has tacit backing from the Communists -- a first in the post-Communist country's history.

Late last year, the government survived a confidence vote after media reported that Babis aides had taken his son Andrej Babis Jr. to Russian-occupied Crimea against the son's wishes to hinder the fraud probe.

ANO currently has the highest backing by far of any Czech party, despite the Stork Nest affair and allegations that Babis was a Communist secret police agent in the 1980s.

ANO was credited with 33 per cent backing in a March-April poll by the Kantar CZ agency for Czech Television, ahead of the second-placed Pirates party with 19 per cent.

Czech billionaire Prime Minister Andrej Babis said Saturday he would not resign if indicted for his alleged role in a two-million-euro EU subsidy fraud. Police this week recommended that Babis be indicted over the case which could see him and several others, including family members, spending five to ten years in prison.

Czech billionaire Prime Minister Andrej Babis said Saturday he would not resign if indicted for his alleged role in a two-million-euro EU subsidy fraud. Police this week recommended that Babis be indicted over the case which could see him and several others, including family members, spending five to ten years in prison. "I would not resign because I have been saying from the beginning that this is a political process," Babis told the DNES broadsheet which he owns. The 64-year-old agro-chemicals mogul pegged by Forbes as the second-wealthiest Czech is suspected of abusing EU funds to build the luxury Stork Nest resort and farm near Prague in 2007. He allegedly took the farm out of his sprawling Agrofert food, chemicals and media holding to make it eligible for a subsidy awarded to small companies before eventually putting it back. Charged by police in 2017, Babis and several others -- including his wife, brother-in-law and daughter -- are suspected of subsidy fraud and harming the EU's financial interests. "If I weren't in politics, nobody would have heard about the Stork Nest," Babis told DNES. "People keep plotting affairs against me, delving into the past. This affair is 12 years old," he said, calling charges against his family "incredible filth". President Milos Zeman, who could remove the embattled prime minister, said Thursday he would not do so. "An indicted prime minister is not a sentenced prime minister," said the 74-year-old pro-Russian, pro-Chinese veteran left-winger and a staunch Babis ally. The prime minister's populist ANO movement leads a minority coalition government with leftwing Social Democrats. It also has tacit backing from the Communists -- a first in the post-Communist country's history. Late last year, the government survived a confidence vote after media reported that Babis aides had taken his son Andrej Babis Jr. to Russian-occupied Crimea against the son's wishes to hinder the fraud probe. ANO currently has the highest backing by far of any Czech party, despite the Stork Nest affair and allegations that Babis was a Communist secret police agent in the 1980s. ANO was credited with 33 per cent backing in a March-April poll by the Kantar CZ agency for Czech Television, ahead of the second-placed Pirates party with 19 per cent.

Czech PM Andrej Babis says won't resign if indicted over EU fraud

The art of traditional puppetry goes back eight generations in the Kopecky family, which over a period of two centuries, has been behind one of the most charming and popular forms of theatre in the Czech Republic.

Matej Kopecky and his wife Vladimira belong to the seventh generation. Their prestigious itinerant theatre continues to attract young crowds captivated by shows full of humour and which inevitably come to a close with a happy ending.

"In our country, it would be unthinkable not to have a happy ending, which is different from the north of Europe, where the tales are crueller," Matej told EFE. At the age of 65, he refuses to renounce his nomadic lifestyle.

His expertises are renowned in the Czech Republic and beyond and have landed him roles in films like "The Adventures of Pinocchio" (1996), directed by Steve Barron and starring Martin Landau as Mister Gepetto.

Matek and Mirka, as the husband and wife duo are familiarly known, are the faces of a saga that has its origins in the 18th century with Matej Kopecky (1775-1847), who in 1825 began to tour around Bohemia in a caravan of marionettes, performing shows on the road.

The puppet master not only found success in the countryside, where the form of theatre chimed with the locals, but it took hold in urban areas with the advent of the Romanticism movement.

The art form, therefore, influenced key figures such as Czech composer Bedrich Smetana, who many attribute with fomenting the idea of a Czech national identity, said Jan Dvorak, an art critic, fellow puppeteer and author of "Matej, Mata, Matusek and the sixth generation of the Kopecky family."

Nowadays, 200 years since their predecessors blaze the puppetry trail, Matej and Mirka restrict their shows to the winter period, putting on about 20 performances a month.

At the beginning of February, they brought "The Winter Tales of Mala Strana," a love story written by one of their sons, to the stage at the Podebrady theatre in eastern Prague.

The performance alternates between puppetry, comedy and musical, it regales the audience with the tale of three snowmen who, in trying to find their place in the city, make friends with a lost dog who needs to find its way home.

Performing in front of hundreds of people seems to give vital energy to Matej, who would like to spend five more years living his nomadic lifestyle, as his ancestors did.

"Every actor is an exhibitionist and of course they like success and applause," he said. "If everything ends well and chimes with the public, it is more satisfying than money," he added.

The Theater of Spejbl and Hurbinek in Prague, where Matej Kopecky Jnr&nbsp;works is the last art space entirely dedicated to puppet shows.

"Puppet theatre is the most traditional form that exists, based in ancient techniques of manipulating strings from above," said the member of the eighth generation of the puppeteer family.

"You are born with it and also we grew up in a theatre and we lived in the theatre's accommodation, so it is part of our lives," he added.

The art of traditional puppetry goes back eight generations in the Kopecky family, which over a period of two centuries, has been behind one of the most charming and popular forms of theatre in the Czech Republic.

The art of traditional puppetry goes back eight generations in the Kopecky family, which over a period of two centuries, has been behind one of the most charming and popular forms of theatre in the Czech Republic. Matej Kopecky and his wife Vladimira belong to the seventh generation. Their prestigious itinerant theatre continues to attract young crowds captivated by shows full of humour and which inevitably come to a close with a happy ending. "In our country, it would be unthinkable not to have a happy ending, which is different from the north of Europe, where the tales are crueller," Matej told EFE. At the age of 65, he refuses to renounce his nomadic lifestyle. His expertises are renowned in the Czech Republic and beyond and have landed him roles in films like "The Adventures of Pinocchio" (1996), directed by Steve Barron and starring Martin Landau as Mister Gepetto. Matek and Mirka, as the husband and wife duo are familiarly known, are the faces of a saga that has its origins in the 18th century with Matej Kopecky (1775-1847), who in 1825 began to tour around Bohemia in a caravan of marionettes, performing shows on the road. The puppet master not only found success in the countryside, where the form of theatre chimed with the locals, but it took hold in urban areas with the advent of the Romanticism movement. The art form, therefore, influenced key figures such as Czech composer Bedrich Smetana, who many attribute with fomenting the idea of a Czech national identity, said Jan Dvorak, an art critic, fellow puppeteer and author of "Matej, Mata, Matusek and the sixth generation of the Kopecky family." Nowadays, 200 years since their predecessors blaze the puppetry trail, Matej and Mirka restrict their shows to the winter period, putting on about 20 performances a month. At the beginning of February, they brought "The Winter Tales of Mala Strana," a love story written by one of their sons, to the stage at the Podebrady theatre in eastern Prague. The performance alternates between puppetry, comedy and musical, it regales the audience with the tale of three snowmen who, in trying to find their place in the city, make friends with a lost dog who needs to find its way home. Performing in front of hundreds of people seems to give vital energy to Matej, who would like to spend five more years living his nomadic lifestyle, as his ancestors did. "Every actor is an exhibitionist and of course they like success and applause," he said. "If everything ends well and chimes with the public, it is more satisfying than money," he added. The Theater of Spejbl and Hurbinek in Prague, where Matej Kopecky Jnr works is the last art space entirely dedicated to puppet shows. "Puppet theatre is the most traditional form that exists, based in ancient techniques of manipulating strings from above," said the member of the eighth generation of the puppeteer family. "You are born with it and also we grew up in a theatre and we lived in the theatre's accommodation, so it is part of our lives," he added.

The family breathing life into 200 years of puppetry in the Czech Republic

A billionaire populist dubbed the &quot;Czech Trump&quot; vowed a new stage in Czech politics as voters head to the polls&nbsp;Saturday&nbsp;in day two of an election expected to sweep him into power.

Betting on his anti-euro, anti-migrant and anti-corruption ticket, ANO (Yes) movement chief Andrej Babis topped opinion polls by a wide margin ahead of the ballot that ends&nbsp;Saturday afternoon.

Babis said he expected his country to &quot;enter a new stage&quot; after voting near Prague&nbsp;on Friday, adding it needed &quot;a government which will really tackle people&#39;s problems.&quot;

Voting at a school in central Prague, pensioner Vaclav Vachel told AFP that Babis&#39; anti-corruption drive was &quot;the key thing,&quot; seemingly unfazed by a fraud indictment Babis faces for alleged abuse of EU subsidies.

&quot;I don&#39;t like the EU at all... They&#39;re incompetent, those people in Brussels... They&#39;re a disaster, this (European Commission chief Jean-Claude) Juncker especially,&quot; he added.

Far-right and far-left anti-EU parties are eyeing strong gains which could lead to a fragmented parliament with up to nine parties and few natural coalition allies. Analysts warn of instability and that the Czech Republic&#39;s system of liberal democracy could be disturbed.

ANO has already held key posts in the outgoing rocky centre-left coalition under Social Democrat Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka, with Babis serving as finance minister from 2014 to May this year.

A 63-year-old Slovak-born chemicals, food and media tycoon, Babis captured around 25-30 percent support in recent surveys, putting ANO ahead of a current coalition partner, with the left-wing Social Democrats on just 12.5 percent.

&#39;Deep dissatisfaction&#39;

Parties protesting liberal democracy are poised to win a majority in parliament for the first time since communism fell in 1989, the leading Hospodarske Noviny daily said in a&nbsp;Friday editorial.

&quot;And for the first time we face the threat that an openly xenophobic, extremist movement will earn more than 10 percent&quot; of the vote, it added, pointing to the far-right anti-EU Freedom and Free Democracy (SPD) of Tokyo-born entrepreneur Tomio Okamura who won backing from France&#39;s far-right National Front.

The daily called the elections a &quot;turning point... both for the country&#39;s internal functioning and its anchoring in the European Union.&quot;

Despite their country&#39;s economic success, many Czechs who are heavily in debt or working long hours for low wages feel they have been left behind and are turning to anti-system parties to vent frustration, Hospodarske Noviny added.

With joblessness at 3.8 percent in September, the Czech economy which is heavily reliant on car exports is slated to grow by 3.6 percent this year.&nbsp;

While Babis has vowed to steer clear of the eurozone and echoes other eastern EU leaders who accuse Brussels of attempting to limit national sovereignty by imposing rules like migrant quotas, he favours a united Europe and balks at talk of a &quot;Czexit&quot;.

Le Pen endorsement

Babis&#39;s main rival, Social Democrats leader and Foreign Minister Lubomir Zaoralek, said&nbsp;Friday&nbsp;he hoped that the future government would ensure that the Czech Republic does not drift to the EU&#39;s periphery.

Opinion surveys showed the anti-EU Communists could win 10.5 percent, ahead of Okamura&#39;s SPD with 9.5 percent and the anti-establishment Pirates party with 8.5 percent.

The leader of France&#39;s far-right National Front Marine Le Pen sent Okamura a letter of support, saying that their parties want to create &quot;a Europe of nations and liberties to which we adhere.&quot;

On Saturday, voting for the 200-member lower house of parliament begins at 0600 GMT and ends at 1200 GMT, with no exit polls scheduled and results expected in the evening.

Betting on his anti-euro, anti-migrant, and anti-corruption ticket, ANO (Yes) movement chief Andrej Babis topped opinion polls by a wide margin

A billionaire populist dubbed the "Czech Trump" vowed a new stage in Czech politics as voters head to the polls Saturday in day two of an election expected to sweep him into power. Betting on his anti-euro, anti-migrant and anti-corruption ticket, ANO (Yes) movement chief Andrej Babis topped opinion polls by a wide margin ahead of the ballot that ends Saturday afternoon. Babis said he expected his country to "enter a new stage" after voting near Prague on Friday, adding it needed "a government which will really tackle people's problems." Voting at a school in central Prague, pensioner Vaclav Vachel told AFP that Babis' anti-corruption drive was "the key thing," seemingly unfazed by a fraud indictment Babis faces for alleged abuse of EU subsidies. "I don't like the EU at all... They're incompetent, those people in Brussels... They're a disaster, this (European Commission chief Jean-Claude) Juncker especially," he added. Far-right and far-left anti-EU parties are eyeing strong gains which could lead to a fragmented parliament with up to nine parties and few natural coalition allies. Analysts warn of instability and that the Czech Republic's system of liberal democracy could be disturbed. ANO has already held key posts in the outgoing rocky centre-left coalition under Social Democrat Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka, with Babis serving as finance minister from 2014 to May this year. A 63-year-old Slovak-born chemicals, food and media tycoon, Babis captured around 25-30 percent support in recent surveys, putting ANO ahead of a current coalition partner, with the left-wing Social Democrats on just 12.5 percent. 'Deep dissatisfaction' Parties protesting liberal democracy are poised to win a majority in parliament for the first time since communism fell in 1989, the leading Hospodarske Noviny daily said in a Friday editorial. "And for the first time we face the threat that an openly xenophobic, extremist movement will earn more than 10 percent" of the vote, it added, pointing to the far-right anti-EU Freedom and Free Democracy (SPD) of Tokyo-born entrepreneur Tomio Okamura who won backing from France's far-right National Front. The daily called the elections a "turning point... both for the country's internal functioning and its anchoring in the European Union." Despite their country's economic success, many Czechs who are heavily in debt or working long hours for low wages feel they have been left behind and are turning to anti-system parties to vent frustration, Hospodarske Noviny added. With joblessness at 3.8 percent in September, the Czech economy which is heavily reliant on car exports is slated to grow by 3.6 percent this year. While Babis has vowed to steer clear of the eurozone and echoes other eastern EU leaders who accuse Brussels of attempting to limit national sovereignty by imposing rules like migrant quotas, he favours a united Europe and balks at talk of a "Czexit". Le Pen endorsement Babis's main rival, Social Democrats leader and Foreign Minister Lubomir Zaoralek, said Friday he hoped that the future government would ensure that the Czech Republic does not drift to the EU's periphery. Opinion surveys showed the anti-EU Communists could win 10.5 percent, ahead of Okamura's SPD with 9.5 percent and the anti-establishment Pirates party with 8.5 percent. The leader of France's far-right National Front Marine Le Pen sent Okamura a letter of support, saying that their parties want to create "a Europe of nations and liberties to which we adhere." On Saturday, voting for the 200-member lower house of parliament begins at 0600 GMT and ends at 1200 GMT, with no exit polls scheduled and results expected in the evening.

'Czech Trump' expected to win election

prague

Prague, News on Prague, stories on Prague, articles on Prague, Prague stories at Wion, Prague news, Prague latest news