Final Word from Tuesday, April 7, 2026

The agenda for the cabinet meeting on Thur. called only for a discussion about the motor-fuel issue, and the result was a daily cap on the prices of diesel and gasoline, a cap on the mark-ups and a reduction in the excise tax on diesel. Comments by PM Andrej Babiš at the press conference afterward suggested that the Strait of Hormuz wasn't much of an issue, if at all. Babiš didn't seem to be aware of participation by the foreign ministry in a virtual meeting that day organized by PM Keir Starmer of the U.K. Babiš stressed instead that he wants to do whatever can be done on the Central European level. The important thing, he said, is for the war in Iran to end. This isn't likely to happen anytime soon, which means that Babiš will at some point need to commit the country to taking a firmer position for or against what the United States and Israel are doing. If a new world war is beginning, as some people claim, it will initially be Babiš who decides which side to take, or whether to try to remain neutral. [ Czech Republic Middle East United Kingdom Donald Trump mark-ups ]