PHOTO GALLERY: Tens of thousands rally in Prague to back President Petr Pavel

Tens of thousands of people gathered in central Prague on Saturday to show support for President Petr Pavel, as a political confrontation between the head of state and a junior member of the governing coalition continues to escalate.

Demonstrators filled Old Town Square and the lower end of Wenceslas Square, with organisers from the Million Moments for Democracy association estimating attendance at between 80,000 and 90,000 people. The rally, which ran from mid-afternoon until shortly before 5 p.m., was one of the largest political gatherings in the capital since the pandemic.

The protest was organized in response to President Pavel’s refusal to appoint Motorists honorary chairman and MP Filip Turek as environment minister. The decision has sparked a public clash between the president and Foreign Minister Petr Macinka, who also leads the Motorists party, a junior partner in the governing coalition alongside ANO and Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD).

“These people can no longer be silenced, and that is extremely important,” said Million Moments chairman Mikuláš Minář as he addressed the crowd.

Beyond backing the president personally, speakers and demonstrators framed the rally as a broader defense of democratic institutions.

Protesters criticized plans to repeal the civil service law and abolish licence fees for Czech Television and Czech Radio, warning that such measures could undermine the independence of public administration and public broadcasting.

Calls for Macinka’s dismissal featured prominently throughout the afternoon.

Police temporarily closed access routes to Old Town Square from Železná and Celetná streets due to the size of the crowd, but reported no serious incidents. “No problems emerged during today’s rallies,” police spokesman Jan Daněk said.

Supporters waved Czech, European Union, and Ukrainian flags, while banners criticized Prime Minister Andrej Babiš’s government. Several opposition politicians attended, including Civic Democrats leader Martin Kupka, STAN chairman Vít Rakušan, and Pirates leader Zdeněk Hřib.

Organizers have also launched a nationwide petition titled We Stand Behind the President, which they say has already gathered more than 600,000 signatures. By early Saturday evening, the figure had risen to 620,000.

Minář said Million Moments plans to organize smaller rallies across the country on Feb. 15, in every municipality where supporters can be mobilised. If the petition reaches one million signatures, the association intends to stage a large demonstration in Prague’s Letná park.

The group is best known for staging mass protests against Babiš’s previous government, including a demonstration at Letná in 2019 that organizers estimated drew around 250,000 people.

Speaking at Saturday’s rally, Minář also warned against aggressive political rhetoric, drawing a comparison with neighbouring Slovakia. He said personal attacks there had contributed to President Zuzana Čaputová’s decision not to seek another term.

“We in the Czech Republic will not make the same mistake,” he said. “We believe this country still has hope.”

Support rallies were also held on Saturday in towns across the country, including Hradec Králové, Pardubice, Zlín, Vrchlabí, Jeseník, Uherské Hradiště, and Třeboň, according to Million Moments.

The dispute between Pavel and Macinka intensified earlier this week after the president accused the foreign minister of attempting to pressure him via text messages sent through presidential adviser Petr Kolář.

The Presidential Office later published the messages, which Pavel described as an attempt at blackmail.

Macinka has rejected the accusation, saying that influencing political positions is part of normal negotiations. Opposition parties have since called for his resignation and demanded a vote of no confidence in the government.

Appearing on Czech Television on Saturday, Macinka said President Pavel was “playing the role of leader of the opposition.”

Pavel has previously said he would continue to defend his mandate as long as he retains public support and remains in good health. Prime Minister Babiš responded at the ANO party congress by suggesting that the governing coalition should agree on a joint candidate for the 2028 presidential election.