Hundreds gather in Prague to voice frustration with government

Last Saturday, "hundreds" of people rallied against the Czech government in Prague’s Letná park. Organized by the National Recovery Council, the protesters voiced their anger against the rising cost-of-living environment, as well as anti-EU sentiments.

"We are here to issue a report card to [Prime Minister] Petr Fiala and his government on specific things,” one of the speakers said according to ČT24. Critics of the government said its current handling of Czechia’s inflationary environment was poor.

The state, according to protesters, should not sell electricity to countries other than the Czech Republic. Skyrocketing food prices, excessive support for Ukraine, and membership of NATO and the EU were also criticized. 

People at the rally were encouraged to write to members of parliament, their employers, or local trade unions to voice their concerns. The organization presented a 20-point plan, or "manifesto," with ways that the government can improve the country.

The protesters waved flags with the words “Demise,” “Thieves,” and “Stop the government,” and called for the dismissal of the cabinet. Protest organizer Jiří Havel noted that, if the situation in the country does not improve, the time will come for “civil disobedience” and a “general strike."

The organization behind the protest, the National Recovery Council, writes on its website that it cares “about correcting the current situation” and calls for greater prioritization of Czech affairs on the global stage.

The organization also writes that Czech “prices of gas are being increased intolerably, and there is a real threat of its complete shortage [and the] the collapse of businesses.” It calls for the establishment of direct contracts with gas suppliers at the lowest possible prices and for Czechia to own its own gas-storage facilities.

The group also notes that the Czech Republic’s food production and self-sufficiency has diminished in recent years, leading to expensive and low-quality imports. To rectify this, it encourages a “reorganization” of the agricultural industry, wherein subsidies will be used for food production, not for the production of industrial goods.

Among other things, the organization demands military neutrality in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, a sharp reduction in the inflow of Ukrainian refugees, and the complete cancelation of plans to enter the eurozone. It also calls for a more independent national trade and industry, which would lessen Czechia’s dependence on foreign companies.

The demonstrations over the weekend were similar to those of the “Czech Republic First” (an unrelated organization), which held a mass demonstration on Oct. 28 against the government, focusing on the country’s involvement in the Russia-Ukraine war and consequential spikes in living costs.