Czech public broadcasters threaten strike over government plan to scrap licence fees
Journalists at Czech public broadcasters have warned they are prepared to strike if the government of Prime Minister Andrej Babiš proceeds with plans to abolish licence fees and shift public media funding under direct state budget control, a move critics say could weaken editorial independence.
The proposal, pledged by Babiš’s populist ANO party during last year’s parliamentary election campaign, would replace the current household-funded model with state financing. Culture Minister Oto Klempíř recently confirmed the plan, declaring that “licence fees are cancelled”.
The reform has triggered a sharp backlash from media professionals, opposition figures and civil society groups, who argue it would increase political influence over Czech Television and Czech Radio by making them financially dependent on the government.
Pavla Kubálková of the Czech Television strike committee said the changes would represent a structural threat to independence, warning that the shift in funding “introduces direct political influence” over public broadcasting institutions that have operated under the licence fee model for decades.
Protests have already taken place in Prague, where thousands of demonstrators marched through the city centre carrying banners defending public media independence. The mobilisation included student groups and opposition politicians, with organisers arguing that public broadcasting must remain insulated from political control.
The government, however, maintains that the reform reflects public frustration with mandatory fees and aims to streamline funding. Officials argue that direct budget financing would simplify the system, though critics point out that it would also give the executive branch greater leverage over media budgets.
Analysts say the dispute highlights a broader regional trend in Central Europe, where public institutions have increasingly become a point of tension between populist governments and media independence frameworks. Comparisons are being drawn with similar debates in Slovakia and Hungary, where changes to media funding and governance structures have previously raised concerns in EU institutions.
Financial implications are also significant. The proposed changes would reduce public media funding by roughly 15% in 2027, according to estimates, with Czech Television potentially losing nearly a third of its budget compared with current levels, and Czech Radio around a fifth. Management has warned that hundreds of jobs could be affected if the plan is implemented.
Media commentators argue the reform reflects an unresolved structural issue: Czech public broadcasters continue to operate on legislative and financial frameworks largely unchanged for over two decades, leaving them exposed both to political pressure and underfunding debates.
The bill still requires parliamentary approval, but tensions are rising as unions and strike committees prepare for possible industrial action, signalling a deeper institutional confrontation over the future of public media independence in the Czech Republic.