Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to rally in Prague this weekend to protest the Czech government's bid to ram a bill to reform public media funding through parliament in a surprise overnight session in October.
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thousands → expect → October
The right-populist coalition headed by Prime Minister Andrej Babis fast-tracked the first of three readings of the legislation, which culminated in a vote of approval at 4:36 a.m. on October 24.
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which → head → October
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.
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gathering → provoke → date
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.
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broadcasters → fund → budget
The three parties in the coalition — Babis's centrist ANO, the far-right SPD, and radical conservative Motorists, whose voter bases tend to be less affluent — insist that the license fee is an unfair tax.
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fee → tend → coalition
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.
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two → argue → year
They also point out that several other European Union states have made similar changes.
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states → point → changes
Critics have angrily dismissed these justifications.
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Critics → dismiss → 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.
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reporting → accuse → ANO
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.
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proposal → point → neither
CT and CRo have warned that the reduced budget included in the bill will mean programming- and staff cuts.
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budget → warn → cuts
When the first publication of the proposed bill was met with protests over the summer, Vaclav Stetka of the European New School of Digital Studies told DW that such "dramatic budget cuts represent an act of cultural vandalism."
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cuts → propose → vandalism
"The confrontational approach, the attempts to limit parliamentary debate and the government's rhetoric towards journalists and critics have all contributed to the public backlash," Otto Eibl, political scientist at Masaryk University in Czechia's second city Brno, told DW.
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Eibl → limit → DW
What has happened since the bill was fast-tracked?
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bill → happen → ?
Crowds picketed parliament through the night as the government pushed through the first reading of the bill.
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government → picket → bill
Since then, multiple rallies have taken place in cities and towns across the country.
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rallies → take → country
Many of these protests were led by students and joined by unions, Churches and representatives of educational and cultural institutions.
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Many → lead → institutions
CT and CRo staff called a strike in early November, disrupting the country's TV and radio schedules.
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staff → call → schedules
Sunday's protest is set to up the ante.
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protest → set → ante
It will take place two days before the anniversary of the start of the Velvet Revolution, which ultimately brought down communism in what was then Czechoslovakia in 1989.
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what → take → 1989
The civil society group Million Moments for Democracy, which is organizing Sunday's rally, brought an estimated 300,000 onto the streets to protest during Babis's first term as prime minister in 2019 and more than 200,000 earlier this year.
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which → organize → 2019
The government's sudden bid to push through the proposal reflects impatience to deliver on a core pledge made ahead of the October 2025 election, as well as the longstanding ambition of the prime minister, who was stymied in his attempt to engineer control of CT's governing council during his first term in power in 2017–21.
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who → push → 2017–21
Vaclav Stetka notes that repeated assaults on public media by Czech governments past and present reflect a particular political culture across Europe's post-communist states.
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assaults → note → states
"The political elite has never accepted the independence of public media," he asserted.
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he → accept → media
In Czechia, however, the public broadcasters have earned special status as cornerstones of democracy.
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broadcasters → earn → democracy
That standing was forged in what became known as the "Czech TV crisis" of 2000–01, when an occupation of CT's studios by staff and mass protests forced the government of the day to back down on a bid to wrest control.
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occupation → forge → control
"The fight over the public service media has become a symbol of the defense of liberal democratic values and institutions," Eibl said.
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Eibl → become → values
How has the government reacted?
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government → react → ?
As anger has swelled, the government has sought to calm the situation.
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government → swell → situation
Babis has said that a new proposal, which would see public media funding moved off budget and editorial independence guaranteed, would be drawn up and made available for a full and open debate.
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funding → say → debate
However, critics remain unimpressed, noting a lack of any detail and the fact that other members of the government appear determined to remain on course.
Million Moments for Democracy has insisted the pressure must continue.
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pressure → remain → Democracy
"Words are worth nothing," the group said.
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group → say → ?
"While people stand up for independent media, the government continues to act as if it owns the country.
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it → stand → country
With little sign that the opposition will dissipate, the government faces a choice.
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government → dissipate → choice
It has the parliamentary majority it needs to push the bill through and defeat any likely vetoes from the upper house Senate and President Petr Pavel.
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it → have → Senate
But this could come at a cost.
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this → come → cost
Polls suggest political support for the government has been weakened and could diminish further if the protests expand to include growing frustrations over the cost of living and housing, as happened recently with student-led protests in France and other European countries.
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protests → suggest → France
"The real risk for the government is that the media issue becomes a lightning rod for broader dissatisfaction," said Martin Vokalek of the Prague-based EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy.
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Vokalek → become → Policy
Could things turn violent?
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things → turn → ?
The PM announced that he will not attend the Velvet Revolution anniversary celebrations on November 17, which are hugely symbolic, in the hope that his absence might "calm the tense situation.
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absence → announce → situation
…and 3 more, not listed.
The Aporia
