On Saturday, tens of thousands of people gathered in Prague to protest the policies and initiatives of the newly formed Czech government, led by the far-right Prime Minister Andrej Babiš. Demonstrators from various regions of the Czech Republic participated in a peaceful assembly at Letná Park, a historic site known for its pivotal role in the 1989 gatherings that contributed to the fall of communism.
The participants voiced their concerns about what they perceive as a threat to democracy posed by billionaire Babiš and his coalition cabinet. They worry that the government may be steering the nation away from its support for Ukraine and moving toward an autocratic governance model. Organisers estimated that approximately 200,000 people attended the protest, waving Czech national flags; one prominent banner read: “Let’s defend democracy.”
“We’re here to clearly stand against dragging our country onto the path of Slovakia and Hungary,“ said Mikuláš Minář, the head organiser from the Million Moments for Democracy group.
Andrej Babiš has returned to power in the Czech Republic following a significant victory by his ANO (YES) movement in the October elections. He has formed a coalition with two smaller political parties: the right-wing extremist Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) and the far-right Motorists for Themselves. This coalition is leading the government to make substantial changes to the nation’s foreign and domestic policies.
Babiš has opposed several key European Union policies on environmental matters and migration. Additionally, he has declined to support financial aid for Ukraine and has rejected guarantees for EU loans meant for the country currently facing Russian aggression. This position aligns him with authoritarian and pro-Kremlin Prime Ministers Viktor Orbán of Hungary and Robert Fico of Slovakia.
Moreover, the new government is preparing a legislative bill that critics contend resembles a Russian law on foreign agents. This proposed legislation would require non-governmental organisations and individuals engaged in broadly defined political activities and receiving foreign aid to register or face significant penalties.
“This law can easily be used to restrict personal freedom,“ Václav Pačes, the former head of the Academy of Sciences, told the crowd.
A proposed change in the funding of public radio and television has also raised concerns about government control over these broadcasters. Organisers decided to hold the rally following the lower house of parliament’s rejection of a motion to lift Babiš’s immunity in a €2 million fraud case involving EU subsidies. This rejection means he won’t stand trial until after his term ends in 2029. Lawmakers also declined to allow the prosecution of the lower house Speaker Tomio Okamura, the leader of SPD, for charges of inciting hatred.
The Million Moments group said that those decisions divide the nation into two categories: “the ordinary people and the untouchables.”
“I came to defend something that is extremely important to me,“ said Michael Černohlávek, a 19-year-old student. “I know that the system we have, our freedom, can’t be taken for granted and I need to protect it.“
“Democracy doesn’t vanish overnight. It crumbles in pieces,” Mikuláš Minář posted on 15 March on X.
“First, they bend the rules, then they take over the media, then the other institutions follow. Before we can even blink, we might find ourselves in a semi-authoritarian state, where the media are the politicians’ mouthpiece, where arrogance, thuggery, and blackmail are everyday occurrences – and where politicians buy their own impunity in exchange for power.
This isn’t fearmongering. That’s exactly what happened in Hungary and Slovakia. And it’s already starting here, too,“ wrote Minář.
More protests are planned to follow.
This article used information from The Associated Press.
