Protests erupted across the Czech Republic in February 2026. Tens of thousands of people have rallied to support President Petr Pavel. They oppose actions by Prime Minister Andrej Babis’s right-wing coalition government. The conflict erupted when Pavel declined to approve Filip Turek, the Eurosceptic Motorists party’s nominee for environment minister, over Turek’s history of performing a Nazi salute and sharing Nazi memorabilia.
Foreign Minister Petr Macinka leads the Motorists party. Some say he sent Pavel threatening messages to push for Turek’s approval. Macinka calls this just normal political negotiations. Groups like Million Moments for Democracy organized the protests. People worry the government wants to weaken rules that protect democracy. They also fear harm to public media and support for the EU and Ukraine.
On Feb. 1, up to 90,000 people filled Prague’s Wenceslas Square and Old Town Square. They held Czech, EU, and Ukrainian flags. Protests continued on Feb. 14 and 15 in more than 400 places around the country. Smaller events happened on Feb. 20 and 21. One in Prague had 800 people, and Pavel joined them. These focused on support for Ukraine near the invasion anniversary. A petition for Pavel has more than 620,000 signatures.
The protests are the biggest since the 2020 Covid-19 Pandemic. They show concern about far-right groups in the government, money problems, and staying close to Western countries. Leaders of the protests say they will hold more if the fight goes on. They want to protect democracy and strong institutions.
Featured image: Reuters
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