Czech regional governors demand explanation over road funding cuts

Regional governors in the Czech Republic, who are not members of the ruling ANO movement, have issued an open letter demanding transparency regarding the government's decision to withhold state funding for lower-class road repairs.

Finance Minister Alena Schillerová confirmed the intention of Prime Minister Andrej Babiš to provide no funds from the State Fund for Transport Infrastructure to the regions next year. The government maintains that regional budgets are sufficient for road maintenance. However, governors argue that their existing funds are already committed to specific obligations and long-term investments.

In previous years, state contributions for these repairs ranged between two and four billion CZK annually. The signatories of the letter, including Jan Grolich, Martin Půta, Petra Pecková, Martin Kuba, and Martin Netolický, have called on the Association of Regions to invite both the Finance Minister and the Transport Minister to a meeting on September 7 to seek a predictable, systemic solution for regional transport infrastructure.