Prague — Czech President Petr Pavel has thanked supporters who travelled to the capital for a mass demonstration backing him in a dispute with the government’s junior coalition partners, after a week of escalating accusations involving the foreign minister and a contested cabinet nomination.
In a message posted on X ahead of the rally, Pavel said he valued the “strength and quality” of civic society in the Czech Republic and its ability to speak out “clearly” at a decisive moment. He thanked those who had come “from all corners of the country” and said he appreciated people who were prepared to “add their voice in defence of decency, truth, solidarity and mutual respect”.
The demonstration later filled Old Town Square, with overflow crowds gathering in Wenceslas Square to follow speeches on screens. Reuters reported organisers’ estimates of 80,000 to 90,000 participants, while police figures were not immediately cited in the reports available on Sunday evening.
The immediate trigger for the confrontation is Pavel’s refusal to appoint Filip Turek as environment minister, a nominee put forward by Motorists for Themselves, one of the coalition partners. AP said Pavel had cited social media posts attributed to Turek that were described as racist, homophobic and sexist, and reported that Turek apologised for some remarks while disputing others. Reuters reported separate criticism related to Nazi-era gestures and memorabilia, which Turek has characterised as bad judgement rather than ideological commitment.
The dispute widened after Pavel made public text messages he said were sent by Foreign Minister Petr Macinka via an intermediary. Pavel described the messages as an attempt to pressure him into reversing his position on the appointment and said he regarded them as blackmail. Reuters reported that Pavel had referred the messages to the National Organized Crime Agency. Macinka has denied wrongdoing and has framed the communication as part of political bargaining.
Czech opposition parties have called for Macinka to resign, arguing that the episode raises questions about standards of conduct inside the cabinet. Czech Radio reported that Pavel has considered filing a criminal complaint, though no outcome had been publicly confirmed in the Sunday reporting.
The rift also sits inside a wider conflict over the direction of the new government led by Andrej Babiš. AP reported that Babiš’s ANO formed a coalition after the October election with two smaller right-wing parties, including the Motorists and Freedom and Direct Democracy. Reuters described the coalition as eurosceptic and reported that demonstrators used the rally to express support for Ukraine and opposition to the cabinet’s approach.
The presidency in the Czech system is not an executive post in the way it is in France or the United States, but the president has constitutional responsibilities in appointing ministers. The current dispute has therefore turned on competing interpretations of the head of state’s discretion when a nominee is controversial, and on the extent to which the cabinet can compel an appointment.
Alongside the domestic constitutional argument, the standoff has begun to affect security and foreign policy decisions. In recent weeks Pavel has spoken publicly about the possibility of supplying Ukraine with Czech-made light combat aircraft to help counter Russian drone attacks. During a visit to Kyiv, he said the Czech Republic could provide aircraft capable of intercepting drones, and noted that Ukraine had offered to buy L-159 jets.
Babiš has rejected the idea of selling or donating the aircraft, according to a Reuters report published in January, illustrating how the president’s public signalling on Ukraine can collide with cabinet policy. Further demonstrations have been announced for mid-February, suggesting the dispute will remain a live issue as Pavel prepares for talks with Babiš and as pressure continues to build over Macinka’s position and the environment ministry nomination.
