The Czech parliament has advanced a controversial government bill to replace public media license fees with direct state budget funding, setting up a potential 15% budget cut for public broadcasters and triggering planned employee strikes. The lower house approved the legislation in its first reading on Saturday, moving the measure forward despite opposition warnings and street protests in Prague and Brno.
Parliament Advances State Funding Plan
The Czech lower house of parliament voted on Saturday to approve the government’s legislative proposal in its first reading, according to reporting by LSM. The measure aims to dismantle the existing monthly public media fee of 205 Czech crowns (8.43 euros) paid by every Czech household and replace it with direct allocations from the national budget. Under the proposed model, Czech Television would receive 5.74 billion crowns (235 million euros) next year, a structural shift that critics and public broadcaster staff warn will reduce overall funding by roughly 15%.
Prime Minister Andrej Babiš leads the governing coalition behind the initiative, which includes his populist ANO party, the right-wing populist Motorists for Themselves (AUTO), and the far-right Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) party. The coalition took power last December with an explicit platform to reform public media, which officials accuse of political bias.
SPD leader Tomio Okamura defended the change during parliamentary debates, stating, as reported by LSM: “It is immoral and shameful to pay for something that works against my interests, against the interests of my country and my people.” The bill’s preamble argues that abandoning license fees matches a wider European trend away from household levies.
Broadcasters Schedule Strikes and Face State Control Fears
Employees at Czech Television and Czech Radio rejected the government’s assurances and scheduled a nationwide strike for November 3, following an earlier 24-hour warning strike held on June 22. Journalists and staff argue that tying operational budgets directly to the state treasury strips away institutional insulation from political pressure. Czech Television presenter Daniels Stahs criticized the legislative timeline in comments reported by LSM, saying the fast-tracked process exposes the government’s fear of public pushback and threatens both network independence and state fiscal stability.
Prime Minister Babiš rejected accusations that the reform aims to turn public broadcasters into ruling coalition mouthpieces. “No one plans to interfere in programs or news coverage,” the prime minister asserted, as cited by local reporting.
Institutional opposition extends beyond newsrooms. Czech President Petr Pavel publicly criticized the government’s haste in pushing the bill through parliament, warning that the expedited schedule casts doubt on official intentions. Pavel emphasized that public broadcasters serve as core pillars of democracy and called for broad public and expert debates before enacting major reforms. The Czech Catholic Church similarly urged the government to preserve the existing funding mechanism to guarantee editorial autonomy, while support for the Czech public media has been expressed by European journalist and broadcasting organizations. Opposition lawmakers confirmed plans to challenge the final legislation in the Constitutional Court.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Czech Media Reform
Why is the Czech government replacing license fees with state funding?
The ruling coalition argues that eliminating the monthly 205-crown household fee saves money for citizens and aligns the country with European trends, while accusing public broadcasters of political bias.
How much money will Czech Television receive under the new bill?
The legislation sets next year’s state budget allocation for Czech Television at 5.74 billion crowns, which the government’s bill suggests could reduce public television and radio funding by 15%.
What actions are public media employees taking in response?
Staff members at both Czech Television and Czech Radio have scheduled a full strike for November 3, following a previous 24-hour warning strike held on June 22.
Which political parties form the governing coalition in the Czech Republic?
The coalition consists of Prime Minister Andrej Babiš’s populist ANO party, the right-wing populist Motorists for Themselves (AUTO) party, and the far-right Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) party.
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