Thousands gather in Prague to protest public media funding changes

On Sunday, several thousand protesters gathered in Prague's Old Town Square to voice their opposition to proposed changes in the funding of public television and radio. The Czech lower house of parliament recently approved a bill that would do away with licence fees for public media and redirect funds from the state budget. This legislation, endorsed by the governing coalition led by Prime Minister Andrej Babis and two far-right parties, still needs to be passed by the upper house.

Critics argue the changes could violate press freedom and limit editorial independence. Milan Kotal, a 94-year-old man, lamented that his lifetime has witnessed two state takeovers of Prague's television - once by the Nazis and then by the Communists. Petr Cekal, a 26-year-old architecture student, expressed concern that the government is attempting to restrict press freedom, a development he finds alarming.

The proposed reform would reduce state television and radio's budgets by approximately 15%. Proponents insist that the changes are necessary for the broadcasters to make cost savings and that the model won't affect the content or independence of programming. However, the European Broadcasting Union, European Federation of Journalists, Reporters Without Borders, and the International Press Institute have criticized the plans, warning that the government is testing its limits.

President Petr Pavel, who has frequently clashed with Prime Minister Babis since his return to power in 2025, expressed concern that the government is moving too quickly and that such hasty decisions cannot be reversed. He emphasized that public service media are among the fundamental pillars of democracy, and trust in the media in the Czech Republic is low, at around 30-33 percent according to the Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2026.