Czech Minister Klempíř advances state‑funded media law amid opposition backlash

Minister Martin Klempíř has introduced a draft law to replace the long‑standing concession‑fee system that finances Czech Television (ČT) and Czech Radio (ČRo) with direct funding from the state budget. The proposal sets ČT’s 2025 allocation at 5.74 billion crowns, down from this year’s 8.5 billion, while ČRo would receive 2.07 billion, about 400 million less than this year’s fee‑derived income.

Opposition MP Jan Baxa (ODS) criticized the measure as a "paskvil" and warned it would destabilise the media market and increase state debt. He accused the government of breaking a system that has worked for decades and argued that the public broadcasters’ current mixed funding model – combining licence fees with limited advertising – is sustainable. Klempíř responded that the law will be passed swiftly, emphasizing the coalition’s commitment to fulfill its programme promise.

Public‑service staff have entered a strike‑ready state, demanding the government drop the proposal. The debate also touched on broader political tensions, with Klempíř and Baxa exchanging personal jabs over remarks concerning the Sudeten German community, which Baxa labeled as propaganda.