Czechia braces for massive protest against public media reform plans

The right-populist coalition headed by Prime Minister Andrej Babis fast-tracked the first of three readings of the legislation, culminating in a vote of approval at 4:36 a.m. on October 24. The bill has already provoked numerous demonstrations and strikes across the country, but Sunday's gathering in the capital's Letna park is likely to be by far the largest to date.

Media Funding Changes

Under the government's proposal, the license fee model that currently funds Czech Television (CT) and Czech Radio (CRo) would be scrapped, and the broadcasters would be funded directly from the state budget. The three parties in the coalition — Babis's centrist ANO, the far-right SPD, and radical conservative Motorists — insist that the license fee is an unfair tax.

The parties argue that the new arrangement, which would see funding for CT and CRo cut by around 15% in the first year, would make the two more efficient. They also point out that several other European Union states have made similar changes.

Independence Concerns

Critics have angrily dismissed these justifications. Opposition parties, civil society organizations and international watchdogs accuse the government of seeking to undermine the independence of the broadcasters, whose critical reporting has long irked ANO and the SPD in particular.

Analysts point out that while models in other EU states include guarantees of long-term financial stability and editorial independence, the Czech government proposal offers neither. CT and CRo have warned that the reduced budget will mean programming and staff cuts.

Growing Opposition

The backlash was immediate, with crowds picketing parliament through the night as the government pushed through the first reading. Since then, multiple rallies have taken place across the country, many led by students and joined by unions, Churches and representatives of educational and cultural institutions.

CT and CRo staff called a strike in early November, disrupting the country's TV and radio schedules. Sunday's protest, organized by the civil society group Million Moments for Democracy, will take place two days before the anniversary of the start of the Velvet Revolution in 1989.

The group brought an estimated 300,000 people onto the streets to protest during Babis's first term in 2019 and more than 200,000 earlier this year. Political scientist Otto Eibl noted that the government's confrontational approach and rhetoric toward journalists have contributed to the public backlash.