Did Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala "fake" a phone call with Austrian Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg, as a picture on his X social media account shows him with a photo app open while holding his phone during the call? No, that's not true: Both Fiala and Schallenberg confirmed on social media that they had spoken. In addition, Fiala's press office confirmed…

Was the Ukrainian flag the only one flying at Prague Castle when Czech President Petr Pavel recorded his 2025 New Year's address there? No, that's not true. The Czech flag was also flying behind the president, on the other side from the Ukrainian one, but it wasn't always visible on camera, as confirmed to Lead Stories by the president´s press…

Does Switzerland, a state with a population comparable to the Czech Republic, have ten times fewer state employees than the Czech Republic? No, that's not true: According to reports from Czech and Swiss think tanks, the number of public sector employees is similar in both countries, around one million, and the figures used to illustrate the claim circulating on social…

Is the Czech NGO People in Need corrupt because it has not yet spent all the money it raised for flood relief in 2024? No, that's not true: The organization has regularly updated on allocating its funds. It has also said that it won't spend the funds all at once and explained the distribution of the aid will be carefully…

Will a growing number of Ukrainian refugees, including those with disabilities, receive higher social benefits than Czech citizens as a result of preferential treatment by the Czech government? No, that's not true: Up to now, disabled refugees have not received any extra help from the state compared to what their compatriots without disabilities can receive. A newly approved amendment allows…

Is the Czech government hiding the content of the treaty, also known as the Concordat, signed with the Holy See in October 2024? No, that's not true: The treaty's text was published on several government websites right after it was signed. It still needs to be approved by both houses of the Czech parliament and ratified by the president to…

Did the Czech Foreign Affairs Minister Jan Lipavsky attend the International Summit on Food Security in Kyiv, Ukraine, in November 2024 because he was not informed that the event was canceled as he is "insignificant?" No, that's not true: Lipavsky officially visited Ukraine on November 22-23, 2024, to attend the summit in Kyiv, which took place as planned. During his…

Did the United States skip the COP29 UN Climate Change Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, in November 2024? No, that's not true: President Joe Biden did not attend, but a U.S. delegation was present, led by Senior Advisor to the President for International Climate Policy John Podesta. The other members of the delegation included Thomas Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture, and Secretary…

Has Hungary announced it will leave the European Union and soon join BRICS, an intergovernmental organization created by Brazil, Russia, India, and China? No, that's not true: No such announcement has been made, and Hungary remains a member of the European Union. The claim appeared in a video (archived here) published on TikTok on October 27, 2024. It featured a…

Do 190,000 Ukrainian pensioners in the Czech Republic receive any kind of pension or retirement benefits? No, that's not true: According to the Czech authorities, only a few Ukrainians fled their homeland after the Russian invasion and received a pension in the Czech Republic.The claim appeared in a video (archived here) published on TikTok on October 13, 2024. The video…