Broadcasters strike as public media funding row peaks
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Czech Television and Czech Radio are operating in a provisional mode today as staff strike over proposed changes to public media financing. Students joined the walkout in support of the broadcasters, whose live output remains restricted while the government decides how, or if, to adjust the fees that sustain them.
The cabinet's military planning is meeting similar resistance. Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and President Petr Pavel have both signaled dissatisfaction with the army's 'KVAČR 2040' strategy, leaving the defense minister and the general staff defending a document that was intended to be a long-term roadmap. It is a busy morning for the Prime Minister, who is also facing an investigative report alleging his uncle was a former member of the Gestapo who fled to Canada.
The mood is souring elsewhere in public life. Lawmakers from the ANO, SPD, and Motorists parties report a rise in intimidation via email, while thousands of people are demanding the removal of the director of the Krkonoše Mountains National Park. To address the country's falling birth rate, the Tykač Institute has suggested a more tangible incentive: raising parental leave to 800,000 CZK.