‘Had enough’: Thousands protest in Prague against Czech government’s public media funding overhaul

Countless individuals collected in Czech Republic capital Prague on Sunday to oppose versus thec federal government’s strategies to upgrade the financing of public tv and radio, alerting that the modifications might weaken media self-reliance and expose broadcasters to political pressure.The presentation in the historical Old Town Square and surrounding streets followed an over night vote in the lower home of parliament that advanced legislation to eliminate licence charges paid by families and organizations and change them with direct financing from the state budget plan.The costs, backed by Prime Minister Andrej Babis’s governing union, got preliminary approval in the early hours of Saturday after legislators moved it suddenly onto the program and reduced argument.

The legislation is now at the committee phase and need to clear more parliamentary votes, consisting of approval by the upper home, before ending up being law.

Why are Czechs objecting?

The proposed reform would cut financing for Czech Television and Czech Radio by around 15 percent, possibly from next year. Critics argue that changing licence charges with allowances from the state budget plan would reveal broadcasters more susceptible to political disturbance.

Protesters implicated the federal government of pressing through the modifications without appropriate public analysis. Demonstrators shouted mottos consisting of “We’ve had sufficient” and “Resignation”, requiring that the draft be withdrawn which the federal government enable a comprehensive public argument.Babis has actually turned down ideas that the strategy threatens media self-reliance, stating it is meant to enhance openness in financing.The proposition has actually drawn criticism from opposition celebrations and worldwide media organisations, which have actually required higher analysis of the legislation. Some challengers have actually compared the strategies with modifications presented in Hungary under previous prime minister Viktor Orban, whose federal government supervised a growth of pro-government media, and reforms in Slovakia under Prime Minister Robert Fico.The European Broadcasting Union, Reporters Without Borders, the International Press Institute and the European Federation of Journalists are amongst the organisations that have actually raised issues.

The European Broadcasting Union and 15 other groups likewise required more dispute and cautioned versus steps that might threaten the broadcasters’ monetary sustainability.Czech President Petr Pavel has actually required higher professional analysis, stating the nation was amongst the couple of in main and eastern Europe where public-service and personal media systems worked well.On the other hand, Mikulas Minar, a leading organiser from the Million Moments for Democracy group, informed the crowd, “You’ve gone too far, we will not let this nation be damaged.”

He likewise criticised the timing of the parliamentary vote, stating, “It is mafia distributes or the Soviet Politburo who make choices at 4:36.”For some protesters, the proposed modifications stimulated memories of the nation’s history of state control over broadcasting.Milan Kotal, a 94-year-old demonstrator, stated: “In my life time there have actually currently been 2 state takeovers of our tv in Prague: as soon as by the Nazis throughout the war and after that by the Communists up until 1989.”“Today the federal government is permitting itself things we can decline,” he included.Public media staff members have actually revealed strategies to go on strike on November 3, while organisers have actually called a bigger rally at Prague’s Letna Park on November 15, 2 days before the anniversary of the 1989 Velvet Revolution that ended communist guideline in Czechoslovakia.Public broadcasters stay a crucial source of news in the nation. Czech Television is the nation’s most-watched broadcaster throughout significant age, while public media rank amongst the most relied on news sources, according to a 2025 Reuters Institute study.

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