Since the government does not set performance objectives beyond total expenditure for public procurement, it is difficult to assess whether or not the spending has made the country more competitive or spread prosperity through better government services. One thing seems clear, however. The goal of creating more public trust needs more work.

Wages vary significantly across European countries, but would increasing wages to create more convergence in pay levels have a damaging impact on competitiveness? Drawing on the examples of the Czech Republic, Germany and Romania, Martin Myant argues that there is scope for raising wages in central and eastern European countries to draw closer to western European levels without generating negative economic side-effects.

Between 2011 and 2015 the number of people working in the area of culture grew steadily, with 410 000 more cultural jobs (+7%) in the EU in 2015 than in 2011. Czech artists and writers are more likely to have more than one job, Eurostat says.

The European Commission published their 2017 Digital Economy and Society Index. The greatest challenge for the Czech Republic in digital is to improve the use of internet services, in particular for eGovernment and for entertainment and social purposes.