Thousands protest in Czechia over plans to move public media to state budget

Thousands of people took to the streets in Czechia over the weekend to demand the independence of public service media, according to taz. The protests followed a decision by the government majority in the lower house to approve a legislative draft that would move the financing of television (ČT) and radio (ČRo) into the state budget. The vote took place at 4:36 am on Saturday following a late-night debate, taz reports.

The move is seen by critics as an attempt to bypass the opposition and civil society through rapid legislative timing. The coalition, which includes the ANO party, the SPD, and a motorists' party, had previously announced plans in June to abolish the current monthly broadcast fees of 205 crowns (approximately 8 euros), taz reports.

Legislative speed and budget cuts

The draft bill now moves to the media and culture committee, with a final decision expected within a few weeks. The legislation also includes planned budget cuts of approximately 15 per cent, taz reports.

Critics expressed concerns that the change could turn public broadcasters into a mouthpiece for the government, with taz noting that some comparisons were made to the situation in Hungary. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) have also criticised the process, questioning whether there is sufficient time for parliamentary scrutiny and warning that funding cuts could jeopardise the broadcasters' abilities, according to taz.

Protests and planned strikes

Demonstrations occurred in several cities, including Brno, Liberec, České Budějovice, and Hradec Králové, as well as a large demonstration on Sunday afternoon in Prague, according to taz. The protests were organised by the initiative "Eine Million Augenblicke für die Demokratie".

Marija Wazi, a spokesperson for the initiative, told taz: „Heute zahlen wir, deshalb müssen die Medien uns nicht fürchten. Morgen zahlt die Regierung. Und wer zahlt, bestimmt.“

In response to the developments, employees at ČT and ČRo have called for a full-day strike on 3 November, according to taz.

Government response

The head of the government and the ANO party, Andrej Babiš, defended the move on social media. He stated that abolishing the fees does not mean the end of ČT and ČRo, nor does it constitute a threat to democracy, taz reports. Babiš claimed that the funds would be guaranteed as mandatory expenditures linked to inflation and accused the opposition of lying and attempting to divide society.

This piece was generated automatically by an AI model from the sources listed below. It has not been reviewed by a human editor.

Sources

• Pressefreiheit in Europa: Proteste in Tschechien für freien Rundfunk — taz
• Proteste in Europa - auch mit Gewalt — Tagesschau