Sent out from the heart of Europe, Czechia’s diplomats represent the country all over the world, including on the far side of the globe. As part of our new series on Czech Women Pioneers, we take a look at Czechia’s female ambassadors, who may still be breaking new ground today in their respective missions to different countries. The first women only began to be appointed to the high office after the fall of communism, such as the first female ambassador to the United States, Rita Klímová, who took up the role in 1990. Now following in her footsteps is Her Excellency Jana Tyrer, who currently serves as the Czech ambassador to Australia. Born and educated in Moravia, many career steps have led the ambassador from Přerov to Canberra, where she now leads Czech diplomatic relations not only with Australia, but also with New Zealand and several Pacific Islands Countries. She took us through the tasks of her daily work, and also discussed some of the challenges that women may face in the world of diplomacy.

The international order is undergoing its biggest change since the fall of communism and Europe must respond to it fast, Prime Minister Petr Fiala said in an address to the nation on Monday. He said Europe must pull together and put “both money and weapons on the table” in defense of its values.

The results of the German parliamentary election held on 23 February are in, but were they surprising? The opposition CDU/CSU claimed first place and is now poised to form a coalition with the Social Democratic SPD, which recorded its worst performance since 1887. Meanwhile, the AfD secured second place, marking a historic milestone for the far-right in Germany. I spoke to political scientist and author Jiří Pehe to find out what he thinks about the results and how they might impact Czechs.

Violent crimes committed by under 18s have increased by 25% in Czechia over the past two years, leaving the country worried about its children. What could be the cause? And the solution?

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Czech humanitarian organizations have supported at least 3.6 million Ukrainians with aid worth over CZK 6.9 billion. The estimate includes donations from Czech donors and international institutions.

Czechia’s leaders have responded to statements by US President Donald Trump, in which the president called Ukrainian head of state Volodymyr Zelensky a “dictator without elections”. President Petr Pavel said that to hold such a view “requires a dose of cynicism”.

The world of aviation has long captured the imagination, but the profession is still dominated by men. That said, the field has come a long way since the first Czech woman pilot, Božena Laglerová, became the thirteenth woman pilot in the world in 1911. Fast forward one hundred years, the field is still overrepresented by men. Major Kateřina Hlavsová is one of the other exceptions, having been the only woman in her class at flight school. How did she make her way into the military? And what is it really like to be a military jet pilot in the modern era as a woman? Join us as we delve into the daily life, the training, and the unique challenges faced by a woman pilot in today's Czech Air Force.

After last week’s shock move by the US to sideline Europe from the Ukraine peace negotiations, seven EU leaders met for an emergency summit in Paris on Monday to consider the consequences of the rift and align their positions on key issues. The meeting brought few surprises, but left a lot of ruffled feathers amongst those who failed to get an invite.

Heads of states and other representatives met over the weekend at the three-day Munich Security Conference, held from February 14 to 16, 2025. This year, the conference mainly focused on transatlantic relations, Russia’s war on Ukraine, and the Middle East.

Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office has requested the extradition of former Russian state television anchor Farida Kurbangaleeva from the Czech Republic. The journalist has been in exile since 2014, when she left Russia and her job at the state-controlled Rossiya 1 TV channel in protest of the annexation of Crimea and the war in eastern Ukraine.