President Pavel urges Czech MPs to calm down over public media fees

Czech President Petr Pavel has called on politicians to calm down and return to a substantive debate after a stormy session in the Chamber of Deputies. The trigger was the government bill to abolish fees for Czech Television (ČT) and Czech Radio (ČRo).

“I ask politicians to calm their emotions and return to a factual debate, to follow the established rules of the Chamber, and to restore basic respect between the coalition and the opposition. I ask for democratic conduct and dignity. I believe the public expects the same from politicians,” Pavel wrote on the social network X.

The bill passed its second reading: early on Saturday morning, the opposition failed to have it rejected. After this first stage, the document will go to the relevant committees.

The opposition sharply criticizes the planned change to how ČT and ČRo are funded. On Friday, demonstrators gathered in front of the Chamber of Deputies, where the debate was taking place, and some of them stayed there all night.

The opposition promises to fight the proposal at all remaining stages of the legislative process. The organization A Million Moments for Democracy has called a demonstration on Old Town Square for Sunday, and protests are being spontaneously prepared in other cities too.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz