Tens of thousands of Czechs rallied in Prague on Sunday to back President Petr Pavel in his escalating dispute with Foreign Minister Petr Macinka over a cabinet appointment.
Organizers said 80,000–90,000 people attended the demonstration, though police gave no official figure. Protesters waved Czech, EU and Ukrainian flags. The independent Million Moments for Democracy movement called Macinka’s actions “unprecedented blackmail” and said they had no place in democratic culture. Pavel thanked demonstrators on X, saying he valued those “willing to stand up for decency, truth, solidarity and mutual respect” and who feel responsible for the state of the country. Organizers said they planned rallies in other towns on February 15.
The confrontation centers on Pavel’s refusal to approve Filip Turek as environment minister. Last week Pavel made public messages he said Macinka had sent, which he described as blackmail. In the texts Macinka warned that if Turek was not appointed “I will burn our bridges in a way that will enter the textbooks of political science as an extreme case of cohabitation.” Macinka, who holds both the foreign and environment portfolios, says the messages are part of normal political negotiation and told Czech television that politics “is not a discipline for princesses” and requires resilience.
Filip Turek is the environment minister nominee put forward by Motorists for Themselves, a conservative, eurosceptic party in Prime Minister Andrej Babis’s coalition. Turek has faced criticism over past social media posts described as racist, homophobic and sexist, and has been accused of performing a Nazi salute and posting Nazi memorabilia. He has apologized for some posts but denies being a racist or Nazi sympathizer. Pavel, who has veto power over ministerial appointments, has for months blocked Turek’s nomination, saying Turek’s actions raise doubts about his loyalty to values enshrined in the Czech constitution.
The standoff follows the formation of a new government after October elections. Pavel swore in the administration on December 15 after Babis’s ANO movement formed a majority coalition with the anti-migrant Freedom and Direct Democracy Party and Motorists for Themselves. That coalition’s platform includes moving the country away from supporting Ukraine and rejecting key EU policies, positions at odds with Pavel, a retired army general and outspoken supporter of Ukraine in its war with Russia.
The dispute has thrust Czech politics into the spotlight, highlighting tensions between the president’s constitutional role and the government’s parliamentary majority. As the row continues, both sides have signaled they are preparing for a prolonged clash over appointments and the broader direction of Czech foreign and domestic policy. Edited by: Dmytro Hubenko