Czech President Petr Pavel. Image: keystone
Feb 1, 2026, 5:09 p.mFeb 1, 2026, 5:09 p.m
Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in the Czech Republic to demonstratively support liberal President Petr Pavel. They followed a call from the “Million Moments for Democracy” initiative and gathered on Sunday in two large squares in the city center of Prague.
Demonstration in Prague.image: IMAGO / CTK Photo
The background is an increasingly escalating dispute between the president and the new right-wing government under billionaire Andrej Babis. The organizers of the rally spoke of 80,000 to 90,000 participants. People chanted slogans like “We are not alone!”
Bitter dispute over ministerial personnel
The president refuses to appoint the honorary chairman of the Motorists party, Filip Turek, as environment minister. Pavel justified this, among other things, with previous controversial statements by the ex-racing driver, which were incompatible with the role of a minister in a democracy. He publicly accused Turek’s Foreign Minister and party colleague, Petr Macinka, of trying to blackmail him over this personnel issue.
Turek, 40, is said to have made racist and sexist comments in social media posts attributed to him. Pavel thanked the demonstrators on Sunday on X for their support. It is by no means naive to want to defend values such as decency, truth and respect. Ex-NATO general Pavel has been at the head of the Czech Republic since March 2023. The 64-year-old was directly elected by the people.
Opposition plans motion of no confidence
The opposition wants to file a motion of no confidence against the government next Tuesday because of allegations of putting pressure on the president. However, the chances that she will be successful are slim. The coalition made up of the ANO led by Prime Minister Babis, the Motorists and the ultra-right Freedom and Direct Democracy Party has a majority of 108 of the 200 seats in the House of Representatives. (sda/dpa)
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