Pavel rejects changes to the funding of Czech Television…

Pavel rejects changes to the funding of Czech Television and Czech Radio

17.06.2026 09:03 HotInfo

Prime Minister Andrej Babiš faces further pressure over the change in funding of Czech Television and Czech Radio, budget rules, and older disputes surrounding Agrofert. President Petr Pavel, on Tuesday, June 16, rejected the government's approach to abolishing the license fees and stated that he had heard no justification or analysis explaining why the cabinet took such a step. novinky.cz ↗

Pavel had already said earlier that he saw nothing in the current funding of public-service media that needed to be changed. Meanwhile, resistance is growing within the newsrooms of Czech Television and Czech Radio, and some employees are preparing a warning strike. Former Czech Television director Jan Souček warned that the impact of the cuts could be greater than the government states, affecting both programming and staff. teraz.sk ↗

Tensions between the government and the Castle also continue in the debate over constitutional relations. During his visit to Vysočina, Pavel criticized the notion that the government is superior to the president or other constitutional officials. At the same time, he is taking part in meetings of the State Security Council, where he is interested in the concept of military development. Regarding the NATO summit, he stated that it should confirm Russia as the greatest and most likely threat to Europe. denik.cz ↗

Alena Schillerová, together with Babiš and Health Minister Adam Vojtěch, is expected to take part in presenting stricter rules on kratom. At the same time, the Senate will be debating a proposal to relax budget rules, which would allow the government to spend up to ten percent of the state budget without parliamentary approval. Further developments will be determined by the debate on the media amendment, the Senate's position, and the Castle's response. idnes.cz ↗