Czech Culture Minister booed at Frankfurt Book Fair opening

Speaking at the ceremonial opening of the 2026 Frankfurt Book Fair, Minister of Culture Oto Klempíř’s address was several times interrupted by boos, whistles, and people shouting “shame” or mentioning his past cooperation with the communist secret police StB.

Reacting to the public rebuke – even more symbolic as it comes a year when the Czech Republic is a guest of honor of the world-famous book fair – Klempíř downplayed the criticism.

“I react to it quite positively,” he told Czech Television. “Czech literature cannot be bent. Czech literature has its own opinion, regardless of who is at the helm of the government. I’m completely fine with that,” he said.

His speech ended with timid applause and more boos and whistles. But posting on X, Klempíř said his speech, where he made the case that “literature should, among other things, open us space for different opinions, criticism and dialogue”, was overall well received at the fair.

“I am glad that the [Czech] state invested in this event and provided generous support to writers so that they can come here and present their work,” he continued.

Czech writer Radka Denemarková also took to the stage shortly after the Culture Minister, who for months has faced the backlash of the Czech cultural sector over the government's cultural policy and funding cuts.

Starting her speech in German, Denemarková told her audience that “ministers of culture who destroy culture come and go, but literature remains” and accused “two former collaborators of the communist StB state security service sit in the Czech government” – a reference to Klempíř and Prime Minister Andrej Babiš.

She continued: “I’m fed up with what I’ve been hearing over and over again lately: that we need to separate politics and literature. Everything is politics. The question today is simple: open democracy or closed society. Literature knows the answer, that’s why it’s so dangerous.”

Running until Sunday, the Frankfurt Book Fair is the largest literary festival in the world and was visited by almost 240,000 people last year. As the guest of honor in 2026, special focus will be given to Czech literature, authors and publishers. Funding of nearly CZK 200 million for Czechia’s participation was earmarked by the previous government of Prime Minister Petr Fiala, along with donations from the private sector.

More than 70 contemporary Czech novelists, poets and essayists will present their work throughout the week. Under the slogan ‘A country on the coast’, the Czech pavilion makes a playful reference to a well-known mistake by William Shakespeare who, in The Winter’s Tale, geographically placed Bohemia on the seashore.

And as the book fair gets into full swing, German media have already started praising a “[Czech] literary landscape that is far more diverse than its most famous exports” like Kafka, Kundera or Havel.