Thousands protest in Prague against public media funding reforms

On Sunday, protesters demanded the withdrawal of legislation seeking to abolish household licence fees and replace them with state budget allocations for public radio and television. The Czech lower house of parliament approved fast-tracking the bill in a rare overnight vote on Saturday after governing coalition lawmakers rushed to open the issue, limiting the opposition's ability to engage in debate before the vote was held.

Government defends transparency

The bill, proposed by the governing coalition led by billionaire Prime Minister Andrej Babis, which includes two far-right parties, must still be passed by the upper house before becoming law. Babis has said the plan is not an attack on media independence but a matter of funding transparency.

Opposition and media response

The opposition has pledged to challenge the legislation in the constitutional court. Critics warn the proposed change would allow the governing coalition to take control of the media, comparing it with actions of populist governments like Hungary's Viktor Orban and Slovakia's Robert Fico. Public media staffers announced they would go on strike on November 3, backed by labour unions, university rectors, churches, and international media organizations.

At the protest in Prague's Old Town Square, demonstrators chanted, "We've had enough", "This must not be allowed to pass", and "4:36", referencing the early morning hour when the draft was approved by parliament. A rally is also planned at Prague's Letna park on November 15, two days before the anniversary of the 1989 anti-communist Velvet Revolution.