Thousands Protest in Prague Against Public Media Funding Reforms
Several thousand people rallied in Prague’s Old Town Square against legislation that would abolish household licence fees for Czech public radio and television and replace them with allocations from the state budget. Critics say the change would leave public broadcasters vulnerable to political control and reduce their funding by about 15 percent, potentially from next year.
The lower house approved fast-tracking the bill in a rare overnight vote after governing lawmakers moved quickly to limit opposition debate. Protesters chanted “4:36”, referring to the early-morning time of the vote. The measure, proposed by the coalition led by billionaire Prime Minister Andrej Babis and including two far-right parties, must still pass the upper house. The opposition has promised a constitutional court challenge.
Babis argues that the proposal is intended to make funding more transparent, not undermine editorial independence. Opponents compare it with pressure on public media under Viktor Orban in Hungary and Robert Fico in Slovakia. Public media employees have announced a strike for November 3, supported by unions, university rectors, churches and international media organisations. A further rally is planned for November 15, shortly before the anniversary of the 1989 Velvet Revolution.
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