Prague Daily Monitor

Although the information hasn’t made front page headlines yet, the biggest behind-the-scenes swarm of lobbyists is now hovering over the construction of two additional reactors at the Temelín nuclear plant. The actual deal looks "somewhat" different. The state-owned energy giant ČEZ is looking to secure five nuclear reactors: two for Temelín and another three for power plants that the energy company plans to build abroad, altogether, a contract worth CZK 500 billion. It’s a gigantic tender, the biggest in Czech history.

In connection with the proposed dissolution of the Communist Party filed to the Supreme Administrative Court by a group of senators headed by Jaromír Štětina, Interior Ministry's officials presented the government with a danger assessment of the Communist Party for democracy.

Monday's papers featured the results of a survey by STEM polling agency which show that only a quarter of Czechs adheres to religion. Nothing new under the sun, you'd say. Czechs are after all "the most atheist nation in the world". Are they really?

Seven years of Slušovice's IT underground

The hustle around Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the Czech Republic did not match with the constantly repeated notion that the Holy Father was coming to Europe's most atheist country.

Politicians want to get back at the Constitutional Court

The story of Jakub Tomeš, who got a licence even though he only uses his legs to drive a car, has called attention to something interesting. If there are overall winners after 20 years of freedom, then they are people with disabilities. The quality of their lives has changed significantly. And society has been realising that the handicapped do not represent a burden, but rather unexploited resources.

The Americans changed their mind and gave up the planned anti-missile defense shield in the Czech Republic and Poland.

The Social Democrats made a surprising u-turn once again. From one day to another, the party changed stance on early elections. Why?

Dad's trainers are the hit of the summer

Wealthy firms are starting up day-care centres outside the system

A behind-the-scenes look at the expulsion of two Russian diplomats

The image and reputation of the Czech Republic in Europe and the world is beginning to sink significantly and fast. Rumors have it that the Czech Republic will not meet – as it promised – its deadline set for 15 December to launch the monitoring system for drawing EU funds which flow to the Czech Republic. We could lose dozens of billions of crowns and not just that. We could end up on the same boat together with Romania and Bulgaria, both of which have already been shortened funding from the EU for various reasons.

Two events expected to take place on Thursday 10 September can be perceived as symbolic of the development in the Czech Republic and Slovakia in the past 20 years. Czech Constitutional Court should decide on the constitutionality of the early elections and Slovak Prime Minister will meet his Hungarian counterpart over the dispute between the two countries.

Will Czech Airlines be privatised or go bankrupt before Jan Fischer's cabinet picks the tender winner? Regardless of the outcome, there’s a moral to take away from this: One should not lie, even if the lie could earn one hundreds of millions after selling the airline into private hands.