Czech Coalition Advances Controversial Public Media Funding Reform
The Czech parliament's ruling coalition has advanced controversial reforms to public broadcasting funding, sparking opposition outrage, protests, and accusations of undermining media independence.
The governing coalition in the Czech Republic has cleared its first parliamentary hurdle to approve changes to public broadcasting funding, despite criticism that the move could undermine media independence and subject broadcasters to government influence. Prime Minister Andrej Babiš's government, supported by the far-right SPD party, has frequently accused public and private media of bias against its policies. Opposition parties have compared the proposed changes to the media reforms implemented by Viktor Orbán in Hungary, which critics argue turned state broadcasters into government mouthpieces.
The reform aims to abolish the monthly household broadcasting fee of 205 crowns ($9.45), shifting funding directly to the state budget. The proposal is expected to cut funding for Czech Television and Czech Radio by approximately 15% as early as next year. Critics contend that relying on state budget allocations will weaken the broadcasters and make them vulnerable to political pressure, potentially transforming public media into instruments of the executive branch.
Tensions escalated over the legislative process itself. The ruling majority advanced the bill unexpectedly, scheduling a vote for Saturday at 4:36 AM while cutting short opposition filibuster attempts by holding sessions through the night and weekend. Opposition politicians condemned the midnight vote as a democratic violation designed to bypass debate while the public slept. Meanwhile, hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside parliament in Prague, and the Million Moments for Democracy movement announced a major protest, alongside a planned journalists' strike on November 3.
Prime Minister Babiš rejected all allegations of attempting to seize control of the media. Writing on social media, he insisted that there is no war against independent journalism, no threat to democracy, and no plan to nationalize the media sector. However, international bodies, including the European Federation of Journalists, warned that the legislation violates the European Media Freedom Act, which mandates stable and adequate funding for public service media.
