The trade balance in November was an improvement year on year, with big gains being made against Germany, Slovakia and Poland, according to the Czech Statistical Office (ČSÚ). External trade turnover in November was the second highest since the establishment of the Czech Republic as well. The bad news included a growing deficit in fuel imports as well as bigger trade gaps with China and Russia.

Parliamentary parties received Kč 886 million from the government in 2010 and minor parties over Kč 140 million, based on the number of people serving in state and regional offices, as well as the number of votes received in elections. The amount was a big increase over 2009 due to the May 2010 elections; austerity measures in 2011 should see this figure drop back down.

Most Czechs — especially those nearing retirement age — are concerned about how far their pensions will go, with the vast majority seeing the current levels as insufficient, a CVVM poll shows. Respondents were deeply split as to exactly how the government should address the situation, but the least popular option is making people work longer.

Czechs have about 82 percent of the purchasing power of the average EU citizen, according to figures from Eurostat. The situation is slowly improving, but at its current rate it will take 18 more years for the country to reach the EU average. So far, Portugal is the only old-member EU country the Czech Republic has managed to pass.