Tens of thousands of Czechs took to the streets on the 1st of February to show their support for President Petr Pavel, who has refused to confirm a politician with a dubious reputation as a minister, the news agency Reuters writes.
A friction has broken out between the president and the government in the Czech Republic, and pro-European, pro-Ukrainian President Pavel accused Foreign Minister Petr Macinka in late January of threatening consequences if the president did not confirm Filip Turek as environment minister. Turek, who represents the populist Motorists’ Party, has been linked to racist and sexist statements on social media, accused of violence against his ex-girlfriend, and Pavel refused to confirm him in office because the politician allegedly performed the Nazi salute and posted posts on social media with Nazi memorabilia.
Turek himself has indicated that he simply has bad taste, not that he subscribes to Nazi ideas or preaches racism.
Supporters of the president filled Prague’s Old Town Square and nearby Wenceslas Square, and police closed several surrounding streets. Many demonstrators held Czech and European Union flags and posters saying “We support the president.”
Some expressed support for Ukraine and loudly opposed the new coalition of Andrej Babiš.
Police have not provided any specific numbers of protesters, but organizers estimate that 80,000 to 90,000 people took to the streets. Protests are planned in other cities across the country on the 15th of February.
After winning parliamentary elections in October, Babis’ party formed a coalition with the Motorists’ Party and the far-right, pro-Russian SPD. Pavel confirmed Babis as prime minister in December but opposed Turek’s inclusion as a ministerial candidate. Last week, the president made Macinka’s news public, describing it as blackmail, and asked the State Organized Crime Agency to investigate the news. Macinka has denied the accusations, saying the news was part of normal political discussions. He said on the 1st of February that politics was the discipline of princesses and that everyone in high-level politics should be more resilient.
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