Riskline / Country Report / 29 August 2021 CZECH REPUBLIC Overall risk level Medium Exercise caution Not completely safe, but typically presents predictable security risks Travel is possible, but there is a potential for disruptions Overview Emergency Numbers Medical 155 Upcoming Events There are no upcoming events scheduled Riskline / Country Report / 29 August 2021 / Czech Republic 2 Travel Advisories Riskline / Country Report / 29 August 2021 / Czech Republic 3 Summary The Czech Republic is a Medium Risk destination: exercise caution. Medium Risk locations are not completely safe, but typically present predictable security risks. Travel is possible, but there is a potential for disruptions. Covid-19 Medium Risk Health authorities confirmed the country's first cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID- 19) on 1 March 2020. Despite the spread of the delta virus variant, infection rates in the country remain low. Most measures have been relaxed or lifted. Political Instability Low Risk The Czech Republic is a largely conservative nation with a stable multi-party democracy, a robust welfare system and a healthy economy. President Miloš Zeman is from the far-right, but state institutions are relatively strong and independent, with respect for civil rights. While the Czech parliament consists of two chambers, most of the legislative powers are concentrated in the lower house, the Chamber of Deputies. The country is a member of both the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and the European Union (EU). Conflict Low Risk The country is not party to any conflict with other states or non-state actors. It is a member of the European Union (EU) and NATO. Terrorism Low Risk The country is not a priority target nor a haven for any known terror groups; security forces are trained and equipped to handle threats. Riskline / Country Report / 29 August 2021 / Czech Republic 4 Unrest Moderate Risk Protests occur regularly in Prague, particularly in Wenceslas and Republic squares, as well as on Freedom Square in Brno, but they are usually peaceful. Protests over sports or by neo-Nazi groups may turn violent, but they are relatively rare. Crime Low Risk Violent crime is uncommon, but street and petty crime is possible in Prague, particularly on public transport or other crowded public areas. Police services are reliable. Natural and Environmental Low Risk Flooding is possible especially in summer and autumn, but the country’s infrastructure and emergency response services are strong and capable of mitigating risk and limiting disruptions. Health and Medical Low Risk The country has an excellent health care system and medical professionals are often multilingual and are all highly trained. High-quality prescription drugs are widely available and infectious diseases present little to no risk to travellers. Local Travel Moderate Risk The country has an extensive public transport network that is reliable and safe, but there have been accidents involving trams in recent years and petty crime is a problem. Air travel, however, is problem free. Vehicular travel can be dangerous due to widespread poor driving habits and variable road conditions. Riskline / Country Report / 29 August 2021 / Czech Republic 5 Political Overview : Low Risk As the head of state, the president has the power to appoint the government and the prime minister. The post of the president has been held by far-right Miloš Zeman since 2013. In January 2018, Zeman was re-elected with over 51 percent of the vote in the run-off round over pro-western academic Jiri Drahos who won 48 percent of the vote. Known for his anti-immigration and anti-Islam statements, Zeman was backed by a bloc of predominantly rural and older voters. In the October 2017 parliamentary elections the ANO (“Yes”) party led by billionaire and former finance minister Andrej Babiš won 78 of 200 seats in parliament with 29.6 percent of the vote, far ahead of the centre-right Civic Democrats (ODS) that followed second with 11 percent of the vote. With over ten percent of the vote each, the Pirate Party and the far-right Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) entered parliament for the first time as the third and fourth largest parties. On the other hand, the centre-left Social Democrats (ČSSD), which led the outgoing coalition with ANO and the Christian Democrats (KDU-ČSL), fell to sixth place with just seven percent of the vote, the party’s worst result since the country split with Slovakia in 1993. The 2017 elections marked the first election with neither the ODS nor the ČSSD on top. ANO’s success underscored the appeal of Babiš as an anti-establishment candidate who vowed to fight corruption and oppose the EU’s immigration policy that were key issues in the election. Following the ANO’s win, struggles in forming a government continued into 2018 as multiple parties ruled out forming a coalition due to a graft accusation against Babiš. In January 2018, parliament voted 78-117 against the ANO minority government in a vote of no confidence – a step that must be taken for every new government according to the Czech constitution – forcing the one-party government to resign six weeks after the swearing-in ceremony. After President Zeman subsequently re-appointed Babiš as prime minister, the ANO government formed a coalition with the Social Democrats and the Communist Party. Parliament approved the new cabinet with 105 votes among the 196 present in July 2018. In addition to ending the nine-month struggle to form a coalition, the vote will see the Communist Party become part of government for the first time since the 1989 Velvet Revolution that ended communist one-party rule. Months after the coalition was confirmed, the ruling parties suffered a setback in the October 2018 Senate elections: while the Social Democrats and the ANO merely Riskline / Country Report / 29 August 2021 / Czech Republic 6 gained one seat each, 10 of the 11 opposition candidates from the Civic Democrats (ODS) won, making the party the largest in the 81-seat upper house alongside the Mayors and Independents (STAN) party. However, the results of the vote are unlikely to undermine the ruling coalition as the upper house has limited powers, such as a veto that can be overridden by the lower house. The results of the 2017 lower house election and 2018 presidential vote underscored widespread opposition to immigration in the wake of the 2015 European migrant crisis. Immigration has been surveyed as a key concern, despite the country having one of the lowest number of asylum seekers in the EU: among some 1.2 million asylum seekers across the EU, only about 1,400 asylum seekers sought protection in the Czech Republic in 2016. After propelling Zeman and the ANO to power, concerns on immigration are likely to drive further disagreements between the country and the EU in the medium-term. This is likely to continue under Zeman’s latest term as president, a role that has very limited formal powers, but is driven by his personal diplomacy of closer relations with Russia and China. There are no recent incidents Riskline / Country Report / 29 August 2021 / Czech Republic 7 Conflict : Low Risk The Czech Republic is a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and the European Union (EU). The country's 'Velvet Divorce' in 1993 from Slovakia, with which it had formed Czechoslovakia, came about peacefully. There are no ongoing ethnic or bilateral disputes likely to result in conflict. Riskline / Country Report / 29 August 2021 / Czech Republic 8 Terrorism No significant attacks have taken place in the country, and very few Czech nationals have been reported going abroad to fight for foreign militant organisations. While security forces are on alert for potential attacks, no plots that have been publicly reported were close to fruition when they were disrupted by the authorities, such as an alleged 2006 conspiracy by Islamist militants to attack Jewish synagogues in Prague that apparently never advanced to the planning stages. No major terrorist attacks have taken place in the country since independence and no specific plots have been uncovered. Although Islamist militant groups such as al- Qaeda or the Islamic State (IS) have made threats against the country, police have not uncovered any developed plots; only in February 2017 was any Czech national arrested for alleged ties to IS and attempting to go fight in Syria. Response Preparedness: The Czech Republic maintains a rapid response team as part of their police force. This body of officers is specialised and professionalyl trained in fighting terrorism. The team maintains regular contact with a number of similar European outfits and ones in the United States. There are no recent incidents Riskline / Country Report / 29 August 2021 / Czech Republic 9 Unrest : Moderate Risk Annual Protests: Each May Day (1 May) there are demonstrations in Prague led by a wide range of activist groups across the political spectrum. These are predominantly peaceful, but can attract anarchists or far-right extremists and counter-demonstrators; two people were injured in 2016 during the May Day rallies, though no injuries were reported in 2017. Demonstrations are largely peaceful, however. Demonstrations both in support and in opposition to the government are common on 17 November, the anniversary of the start of the 1989 uprising that sparked the Velvet Revolution. Protests are generally non-violent, however there is a low risk that rival demonstrators could clash. Typical flashpoint protest locations include the Albertov campus of Charles University, the central Národní street and the presidential office in Prague Castle. Sports-related Riots: The Czech Republic has had increasing problems with football hooliganism. Fights in and around football grounds are common on days when big matches are being played. Most large teams have hooligan gangs but the worst affected teams are AC Sparta Praha, SK Slavia Praha, Ostrava and Brno.