Last Saturday, over 250,000 people gathered where pro-democracy protestors stood in Letná Park at the close of the Soviet Union to demonstrate against the Czech government. Organisers described a real and immediate “danger of democratic erosion in the Czech Republic”, with a rise in oligarchy promoted by the government’s policies. Planned by the cross-party association A Million Moments for Democracy, they marched on one slogan above all else: “we will not let our future be stolen!”.
Protests have been intensifying in recent years, led by citizens from a range of social and political backgrounds that share deep concern about the direction of Czech society. The country is led by Andrej Babiš, the Prime Minister and leader of ANO, alongside the SPD and Motoristé, two ultra-nationalist parties, who have overseen an increasingly Eurosceptic and pro-Russian stance in the government.
From start to finish, families and people of all ages gathered and fixed their attention on the stage as if they were at a concert. A range of speakers from civil society including academics, actors, and representatives from NGOs addressed the crowd. With a mix of seriousness and a characteristic Czech sense of humor, a wide range of concerns were raised. These included the independence of the media; accusations against Babiš and Tomio Okamura, leader of the SDP; and reduced support for education, defence and environment protections.
“We are here to defend our democracy”
For many in attendance, the protest was not about a single issue, but rather many issues and a broader sense of democratic decline. Eliška and Nikolai, both 21, said they felt compelled to attend in response to what they see as mounting threats to democracy. “We are here to defend our democracy because we feel threatened by the current coalition", Nikolai explained.
Their concerns echo a common unease over a series of policy proposals introduced in February. Among the most contentious measures is a proposal to abolish the licence fee that finances Czechia’s public media. Before it was officially proposed, the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom warned against it in an open letter. They argued that the initiative, spearheaded by the Ministry of Culture, could “undermine the independence of public media organisations and weaken the trust placed in them by audiences".
Another controversial proposal involves the introduction of the label “political non-profit organisations", a move looking to delegitimise civil society advocacy (which is mainly opposed to the government’s agenda). The European Civic Forum has cautioned that such measures “resemble foreign agent laws in authoritarian countries, such as Russia, Hungary, and Georgia". 147 organisations warned that the proposal could stigmatise funding sources seen as legitimate by the EU and potentially breach international standards on freedom of expression.
“This is not normal”
Klara, a Charles University student present in the protest, explained that these reforms are not only dangerous but unfair on their own terms. She pointed out that the SPD and Motoristé, the smaller parties within the coalition, are “pushing above their electoral weight”. While acknowledging that ANO won the parliamentary elections in October 2025, their partners have the support of just 7% and 6% of voters respectively.
Organisers wanted to raise awareness that ANO is trading Czech democracy as a bargaining chip with its coalition partners, having previously been a member of the predecessor to the centrist Renew group in the European Parliament but switched to the radical right Patriots for Europe. Eliška agreed that the most controversial decisions were being driven by these smaller actors, who also hold key ministerial positions. “This is not normal” or healthy for Czech politics, she argued.
Alongside Czech flags, the flags of the EU and Ukraine were visible throughout the crowd. Nikolai expressed concern over what he sees as a shift in foreign policy in favor of Russia, pointing out the insufficient support for Ukraine and warning against what he described as a dangerous “eastward drift by the government”. This can particularly be seen in recent weeks with the government’s reluctance to continue the ammunition initiative launched under former Prime Minister Petr Fiala.
“The same things as Robert Fico”
The government also decided not to participate in the €90 billion European loan approved in December 2025, alongside Hungary and Slovakia. For Eliška, also Slovak, the situation was particularly concerning due to the regional context. She drew parallels between the current Czech government and developments in the wider region, arguing that the government is “doing the same things as Robert Fico in Slovakia".
She emphasised that this protest should be understood in the broader regional context, noting that upcoming elections in Hungary will also be crucial for the future direction of both Czechia and Slovakia. According to her, political shifts in one Visegrád country can influence others and highlighted that Slovak participants’ guests were also present on the stage, reflecting these shared, intertwined concerns within Czech-Slovak civil society.
Despite the level of concern over the future of Czech democracy and that of the wider region, all of the people we interviewed agreed, above all else, on one thing. The only way to get through these challenging times is to remain optimistic and to participate in these protests. Eliška emphasised the strength of civil society in Prague and across Czechia despite these challenges. People are increasingly aware of the need to organise and defend democratic values. “It is not too late”, she says.
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