
17 days · 8 summary articles
Czech public broadcasters’ 24-hour warning strike enters its first day on Monday as employees protest government plans to replace licence-fee funding with direct state budget subsidies. Thousands of journalists, technicians and producers at Česká televize and Český rozhlas walked out at 00:00 CET, halting news bulletins, cultural programmes and regional broadcasts, the unions confirmed in multiple outlets . The action follows a Sunday demonstration in Prague organised by the civic movement Milion chvilek pro demokracii, which drew crowds chanting against “politicisation” of the media .
The draft legislation, tabled by Prime Minister Andrej Babiš’s government, would scrap the mandatory monthly fee—currently 135 CZK (€5.40)—and shift financing to annual parliamentary appropriations. Critics warn this would expose Česká televize and Český rozhlas to political interference and budget cuts. “This is not about fees; it is a power grab,” said Radek Vondráček, deputy leader of Babiš’s ANO movement and a former parliamentary speaker, speaking to Český rozhlas Plus . The strike organisers echoed the charge, calling the reform a “shocking overhaul” designed to bring public media under government control .
Across the EU, public-service unions are mobilising against similar pressures. In Brussels, a joint strike by socialist and Christian trade unions shut down municipal services, public hospitals and non-profit agencies on Monday, timed to coincide with International Public Services Day . French civil-service unions warned that frozen pay scales have pushed entry-level salaries below the minimum wage, amplifying calls for indexation .
In Central Europe, Czech developments resonate amid broader anxieties about media independence. Hungarian outlets noted parallels with Budapest’s 2010 media reforms, while Slovak public broadcasters described the Czech strike as a “warning shot” for the region . Analysts expect the Czech parliament to begin committee hearings on the bill after the summer recess, with the strike organisers vowing to escalate if the text remains unchanged.
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