BERLIN | WARSAW
In a run-off election with arch-conservative Friedrich Merz, North Rhine-Westphalian leader Armin Laschet won the race for CDU chair. Laschet – considered to be the moderate in the race and ran largely on a platform of continuing Merkel’s legacy – now has the best chance of becoming the country’s next chancellor after the Bundestag election set for 26 September.
In the meantime at the EU level, Laschet will have to deal with the headache of Hungary’s ruling Fidesz party, which is part of the European People’s Party (EPP). EPP chief Donald Tusk briefly welcomed delegates during Saturday’s CDU virtual congress and called on the CDU to take a clear position regarding the dispute with Fidesz. Read more.
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Foreign Minister Tomáš Petříček and the Israeli Ambassador Daniel Meron met to discuss cooperation in science and health on Tuesday. Mr. Petříček said that community-friendly treatment methods used with COVID-19 patients and the use of medical canabis are areas where inspiration can be taken.
The Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs is due to open a new Czech Consulate General in the UK city of Peterborough in connection with Britain s departure from the EU, Foreign Minister Tomáš Petříček told Czech Television on Wednesday.
The consulate will be headed by former Czech Roma police officer Petr Torák who received the Order of the British Empire a few years ago for his service for the Roma community. The Ministry is now waiting for the approval of the British authorities.
Mr Torák is currently in charge of a charity organisation COMPAS in Peterborough, which is helping local Czech and Slovak communities. Nearly 49,000 Czech citizens have so far applied for resident status in the UK. Of the 46,410 applications that had been dealt with at the end of November, some 31,240 Czechs had received settled status, while 13,560 had been granted pre-settled status.