INTRODUCTION
POPULIST OPPOSITION LEADS IN POLLS FOR AUTUMN PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS
Polling in March 2025 confirmed expectations and trends: populist opposition party ANO (Action for Alienated Citizens, with the acronym spelling out “Yes”) led by billionaire and former premier Andrej Babiš remains the clear frontrunner for the upcoming parliamentary elections in autumn. Scheduled for no later than the first weekend of October, the elections could mark a major shift in Czech politics, potentially unseating the current five-party governing coalition. Often dubbed the “Czech Trump” due to perceived similarities with the sitting US president, Babiš’s resurgence has raised concerns that Czechia may follow a trajectory similar to its Central and Eastern European neighbours, such as Slovakia and Hungary, where illiberal leaders have curtailed civic space and targeted civil society.
The key factor in the 2025 elections appears to be the nation’s economic recovery (or lack thereof) following severe inflation. Only 15 percent of the population is satisfied with the state of Czech politics, and commentators argue that many have forgotten what ANO’s leadership was like, aside from the sense that they were better off economically.
GOVERNMENT MOVES TO TIGHTEN IMMIGRATION LAWS
In early March 2025, the Czech government announced plans to introduce stricter immigration legislation. The proposal includes faster deportations, more security checks, and accelerated asylum proceedings. Given the relatively low actual number of migrants and asylum seekers in the country, many see the move as largely politically motivated, as the opposition continues to pose a threat in the upcoming elections.
The Czech Interior Ministry also stated that asylum seekers’ locations would be more closely monitored, and the draft law proposes that asylum seekers with “problematic behaviour” could lose access to key state benefits and health insurance. The government also noted its intent to establish “transit zones” at international airports so that they are not legally considered entry points into the Czech Republic.
RELATIONS WITH RUSSIA DETERIORATE FURTHER
Tensions between the Czech Republic and Russia continue to rise. On 19th November 2024, the head of the Czech secret service, Michal Koudelka, blamed Moscow for bomb threats which forced hundreds of Czech and Slovak schools to close for several days.
On 14th January 2025, Prime Minister Petr Fiala announced the completion of a pipeline project that will enable the country to end its energy dependence on Russian oil and replace it with supplies from the West.
Tensions escalated again on 11th February 2025, when Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský delivered a formal note of protest to Russian Ambassador Alexander Zmeyevskiy over remarks made by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev about Czech Senator Miroslava Němcová. In response to a fabricated post falsely attributed to Němcová, making it seem that she had called for a blockade of Leningrad, Medvedev called Němcová a “degenerate creature” and wished for her death. Despite her clear denials about the legitimacy of the post, Russia’s Investigative Committee announced an inquiry into Němcová. Prime Minister Fiala and other Czech leaders condemned this, accusing Russia of spreading disinformation and attempting to intimidate pro-Western politicians.
Amid these tensions and Russia’s continued aggression against Ukraine, leaders of all parliamentary parties—except the opposition populist right-wing parties ANO and SPD—came together on 13th March 2025 and agreed to take a unified approach to increase defence spending.
ASSOCIATION
DISSOLUTION OF USAID CRIPPLES CZECH NGOS
On 30th January 2025, media reported that the suspension of American foreign aid and the shutdown of USAID had affected several Czech NGOs, including one of the nation’s largest humanitarian organisations, People in Need. The group relied on the United States government for about a quarter of its budget. The Director of Institutional Relations at People in Need, Richard Walker, told Czech Radio: “I think one of our biggest concerns, of course, is around human rights and, let's say, diversity. When we think about the importance of diversity in inclusion development programming, US policy is fairly adamantly against having these programmes supported. We believe that the impact on things like human rights activists and independent journalists who are at risk of persecution will certainly leave them without assistance and support. This, for us, is, of course, a critical issue that we will follow closely and address.”
Other organisations in the human rights space were also affected by funding cuts, receiving emails telling them to stop all activities funded by the United States. The civil society organisation Women in Media suddenly lost a grant from the US embassy due to the cuts. They organise workshops and debates for female journalists as well as propose measures that support their work-family balance and combat sexual harassment and violence. Jitka Adamcikova, chairwoman of Women in Media, expressed shock at the abrupt loss of funding, saying “I did not expect that this was such a controversial activity that its support would be terminated four days after the inauguration of the new American president”.
Beyond the financial impact, she said the funding also had symbolic significance. Adamcikova noted, “two years ago, the employees of the American embassy were the first people we met with when we started thinking about establishing an association to support women in the media. But it wasn't just about financial support, because they were able to connect us with other people or organisations that had already done a lot of work in the area of equal opportunities”.
The Women’s Educational Institute Brno and the Kalyna Community Centre also lost their US funding and were told to suspend their projects. The Women’s Educational Institute supported the integration of Ukrainian women refugees, helping them adapt to and better access the Czech labour market. They were promised that they would receive money for activities already conducted, but they now must find a new funding source for the last three months of their planned programme. Director of the Institute Barbora Antonová stated “it's not our only source of funding, but it's certainly a problem. We're currently working out how to do it so that we don't have to cancel planned activities, because we have contracted lecturers for them who were counting on being paid decently. We find it very ironic in the context of [the planned talk on] labour exploitation”.
While US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced there would be exceptions for organisations supplying humanitarian aid and life-saving emergency assistance, it is unclear whether the aforementioned organisations will benefit from them.
ASSEMBLY
POLICE AND FIREFIGHTERS RALLY FOR HIGHER SALARIES AND BETTER CONDITIONS
On 21st November 2024, the Union of Security Forces organised a protest in front of the Ministry of the Interior in Prague, which was attended by approximately one thousand police officers and firefighters. The event was also supported by workers in the prison service, customs officers, city and municipal police, and the mountain rescue association. Protestors hoped to call attention to underfunding, lack of staff, and excessive bureaucracy in their jobs. While the security forces unions had recently secured a small stabilisation bonus from the Interior Minister, they demanded a 6.9 percent salary increase. The protest ended peacefully with no altercations reported.
THOUSANDS COMMEMORATE THE 35TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE VELVET REVOLUTION
On 17th November 2024, Czechs honored the 35th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution, which led to the end of communist rule in the country. Known as Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day, events, concerts, parades and protests took place across the country. Commemorations were attended by major political leaders like President Petr Pavel, Prime Minister Petr Fiala, Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský, Prague Mayor Bohuslav Svoboda, and ANO party leader Andrej Babiš. No altercations with police were reported.
PRO-PALESTINE PROTESTS SEE ALLEGED ALTERCATIONS
To coincide with the above-mentioned events, the pro-Palestinian group Not in Our Name held a protest on 17th November 2024 criticising the government’s support for Israel. The demonstration was small, with reports placing the number of supporters around several dozen. While one report claimed that the event had been peaceful, another stated that pro-Palestinian demonstrators had attacked counter-demonstrators on site, forcing the police to intervene.
There was another demonstration reported on 28th November in which several dozen protestors came together outside the Czech Foreign Ministry during a meeting between Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar and Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský. At this meeting, Senate Speaker Miloš Vystrčil reaffirmed Czech support for Israel, but also emphasised the importance of respecting international law.
Both of these protests came after an incident at University College London, where Minister Jan Lipavský’s lecture was disrupted by pro-Palestinian protestors who accused him of complicity in war crimes. During this same visit to the United Kingdom, Lipavský made public remarks criticising EU diplomatic chief Josep Borrell for proposing the suspension of political dialogue with Israel in response to reports of human rights violations in Gaza.
HUNDREDS GATHER TO OPPOSE GOVERNMENT’S STANCE ON UKRAINE AID
Also on 17th November 2024, activist Ladislav Vrabel led 200 demonstrators in a protest against the government’s support for Ukraine, gathering in Prague. Protestors present included political leaders: Josef Skála from the Communist Party, Zuzana Majerová from the national-conservative Trikolóra party, and MP Karla Maříková from the right-wing populist SPD. While they called for the removal of Ukrainian flags from state buildings, counter-protesters carrying Ukraine flags emerged to counter their message.
Police diverted protesters on their way to National Street (Národní třída), one of the main streets in the centre of Prague, where an event commemorating the Velvet Revolution was being held, on the grounds that they were blocking the entrance to a place of worship. They also detained five people on suspicion of misdemeanor charges. One was arrested immediately for dressing in a military uniform without authorisation. Others were detained for suspected violations of the right to assemble, as well as “misdemeanors against civil coexistence” and “public outrage”. These people brought proscribed items, such as fireworks and brass knuckles, and another saluted in front of the Straka Academy, the seat of the government of the Czech Republic.
PROTESTORS IN PRAGUE MARCH IN SOLIDARITY WITH UKRAINE & AGAINST US PRESIDENT TRUMP’S STANCE
Two protests in Prague in support of Ukraine and against US President Donald Trump took place in 2025, with the first being held on 23rd February 2025. Organised by NGOs Million Moments for Democracy, People in Need, Memory of the Nation, and the European Congress of Ukrainians, thousands came together in Prague’s Old Town Square to honour the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. President Petr Pavel, Ukrainian Ambassador Vasyl Zvarych, and several Czech actors and artists gave speeches.
The second protest on 7th March 2025 also took aim at Trump’s recent actions as well as his stance on Ukraine and broader foreign aid funding cancellations. The march was organised by Million Moments for Democracy, and several hundred people attended in Prague to support Ukraine and European peace. The organisers said that the goal of the protest was also to keep “Trump-inspired politicians” out of the Czech government, likely referencing ANO’s Andrej Babiš. Both events remained peaceful, with police present but no reported intervention.
FARMERS PROTEST NON-EU FOOD IMPORTS
On 27th February 2025, Czech farmers protested across the country at a number of border crossings with Slovakia, Poland and Germany. The farmers used hundreds of tractors to voice opposition to food imports from non-EU countries. While traffic for the most part was not disrupted, farmers temporarily blocked a road connecting Slovakia to the Czech Republic. The farmers spoke out against the EU’s agreement with Mercosur, the South American trade bloc, as well as duty-free imports from Ukraine, stressing the need for fair competition. Czech producers have to comply with stricter regulations than producers from non-EU countries, leaving them at a price disadvantage. The police monitored most of the protests and escorted a dozen tractors back into Czech territory at the German-Czech border.
HUNDREDS MARCH AGAINST THE RISE OF THE FAR-RIGHT
On 22nd March 2025, hundreds took to the streets of Prague to protest against the rise of the far-right and increasing racism and xenophobia in the Czech Republic and globally. Together Against Racism and Fascism led and organised the march. Protestors criticised Prime Minister Fiala’s inaction on Palestine and expressed solidarity with Gaza, as well as with Turkish and Russian migrants seeking refuge in Czechia. They also expressed opposition against the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in Germany and the Czech Republic’s right-wing populist Freedom and Direct Democracy party (SPD). The demonstration was also supported by Prague4PalestineYouth, the Czechoslovak Anarchist Association, Socialist Solidarity, the Anti-Fascist Platform of the Left Party, the Young Greens, a World without Wars and Violence, and Universities for Climate.
EXPRESSION
LOWER HOUSE LIFTS FAR-RIGHT SPD CHAIRMAN’S PARLIAMENTARY IMMUNITY OVER HATE SPEECH CHARGES
On 12th February 2025, the Czech lower house of parliament voted to lift the parliamentary immunity of Tomio Okamura, chairman of the far-right populist SPD party. He now faces criminal prosecution for inciting hatred, a move he has challenged with a formal complaint. All MPs from the government coalition and the Pirate Party supported the motion, while MPs from ANO and the SPD opposed it.
The vote followed a police request in response to a racist and xenophobic campaign led by the SPD against the new EU migration pact. One of the campaign’s visuals featured an AI-generated image of a dark-skinned man covered in blood and holding a bloody knife, accompanied by the slogans: “Shortcomings in healthcare won't be solved by imported ‘surgeons’” and “Stop the EU Migration Pact.” Okamura condemned the prosecution as an attack on freedom of speech and an attempt to silence dissent. However, under international human rights standards, sanctions on hate speech are not generally considered a violation of freedom of expression.
UNITED STATES TERMINATES FUNDING FOR RADIO FREE EUROPE/RADIO LIBERTY, EU SCRAMBLES TO REPLACE
The US government stopped funding Prague-based Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty as part of its agenda to cut bureaucracy and cut ties with “radical propaganda”. Founded during the Cold War to promote independent journalism and combat Soviet propaganda, the organisation comprises 21 bureaus, broadcasting in 27 languages to 23 countries. On 16th March 2025, Czech Foreign Minister Lipavský called for a broader European discussion on how to support the broadcaster, vowing to raise the issue at a gathering of European foreign ministers scheduled for the next day. He also emphasised that the broadcaster is one of very few credible sources accessible in dictatorships like Iran, Belarus, and Afghanistan. Coming out of that meeting, EU ministers voiced strong support for filling the void left by the US but noted it could not happen automatically.
GOVERNMENT MOVES TO PROTECT PUBLIC BROADCASTERS’ INDEPENDENCE
After the introduction of initial amendments in October 2024, the current government is rushing to push through a proposal to increase public broadcasting licence fees and index future fees to inflation to secure the finances of Czech Television (ČT) and Czech Radio (ČRo) before the fall elections. These two outlets are among the most trusted institutions in the country according to opinion polls, yet their current funding model leaves them struggling to operate effectively. As noted in the previous CIVICUS Monitor update, these licence fees have not been adjusted since 2008 for ČT and 2005 for ČRo respectively. Backed by Minister of Culture Martin Baxa, the new fees would adjust for inflation and create a more stable funding structure that preserves the strength and independence of public media. Over 200 organisations and over 12,000 individuals have signed a petition in favour of safeguarding Czech public media, and the bill is scheduled to be debated on the Senate floor in March.
ANO and the SPD continued to oppose the bill, accusing ČT and ČRo of censorship and bias. Looking toward their anticipated win in the upcoming elections, ANO leader Andrej Babiš has promised to abolish license fees entirely and instead merge the two institutions and link their funding directly to the state budget, thereby bringing public broadcasting under political control, threatening its independence.
CONSTITUTIONAL COURT REJECTS BABIŠ’S COMPLAINT OVER DEFAMATION SUIT
On 13th March 2025, the Constitutional Court dismissed ANO leader Andrej Babiš’s complaint against a Supreme Court ruling that mandated his apology to politician Miroslav Kalousek over defamatory statements. In 2018, Babiš claimed that Kalousek had robbed the Ministry of Defence and “killed people with parachutes”. Although Babiš tried to argue otherwise, the court ruled that his statements could not be considered a form of political debate and that he did not have sufficient factual evidence on which to base his claims. The judgement shows that freedom of expression in Parliament is not absolute and politicians can also be held legally accountable for defamatory statements.
PROMINENT INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST PLACED UNDER POLICE PROTECTION DUE TO THREATS
On 6th February 2025, editor-in-chief of Neovlivní, Sabina Slonková, and her family were placed under police protection. This move was in response to a man who attempted to break into her house in December 2024, tried to access her child’s location through a mobile app, and sent her threatening emails. Slonková is a well-known investigative journalist, and in 2002 she was also the target of an assassination plot because she reported on the suspicious practices of then-Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Karel Srba. The perpetrator of the 2024 attacks had a criminal record and could not provide a plausible justification for his actions.
NEW REGISTRATION MANDATE ESTABLISHED FOR INFLUENCERS, BUT SENATE WEIGHS ITS ABOLITION
On 22nd November 2024, the Radio and Television Broadcasting Council (RRTV) announced that influencers would now be obliged to register with RRTV under a new EU Directive which was transposed into the Czech legal code. The law aimed to set stricter rules for advertising to better protect minors. However, in response to concerns raised, on 6th March 2025, the Ministry of Culture stated that the Chamber of Deputies had approved an amendment to abolish this mandatory registration. The amendment will be debated by the Senate in the coming weeks.