EditCzechs rally in support of President amid standoff over far-right ministerial nominee
Tensions surged when Petr Pavel released messages threatening unspecified "consequences" - including efforts to limit his role at upcoming NATO summits
Thousands of Czech citizens took to the streets across the country on Sunday in a fresh wave of demonstrations supporting President Petr Pavel amid his deepening rift with Prime Minister Andrej Babiš’s coalition government.
The protests, held in major cities and over 400 smaller towns and villages, marked a continuation of public mobilization that began with a massive Prague rally two weeks earlier.
Organized by the civic group Million Moments for Democracy, Sunday’s actions focused on defending democratic principles and expressing alarm over the government’s direction. Mikuláš Minář, head of the organization, emphasized the broader stakes in a social media post: “This is no longer about the president. It is about the path the Czech Republic will take.”
The demonstrations built on the 1 February protests in Prague’s Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square, where organizers estimated 80,000 to 90,000 participants gathered to back Pavel after he refused to appoint Filip Turek, honorary chairman of the junior coalition partner Motorists for Themselves, as environment minister. Turek’s nomination has been blocked due to past social media posts containing racist, homophobic, sexist content, and images including a Nazi salute and Nazi memorabilia – material Turek has called “bad taste” and partially denied.
Tensions surged when Pavel accused Foreign Minister Petr Macinka, leader of the Motorists party and acting environment minister, of attempted blackmail. Pavel released messages allegedly sent via an adviser threatening unspecified “consequences” – including efforts to limit Pavel’s role at upcoming NATO summits – if the president persisted in rejecting Turek. The presidential office forwarded the exchanges to police, fueling outrage over perceived threats to institutional independence.
While no nationwide attendance figure was released, reports highlighted significant turnouts in places like Brno, where protesters filled Freedom Square, and Pardubice in East Bohemia. Participants waved Czech, EU, NATO, and Ukrainian flags, signalling continued support for pro-Western and pro-Ukraine policies amid concerns about the eurosceptic coalition’s influence, including the far-right Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) party.
The government has dismissed the protests as opposition-driven and maintained that public pressure will not alter its course. Macinka has defended the coalition’s right to nominate its candidates, while Babiš’s administration survived an earlier no-confidence challenge.
As Million Moments for Democracy collects signatures for a potential large-scale rally in Prague, the ongoing standoff highlights sharp institutional divisions in post-election Czechia. With Pavel – a pro-EU, pro-NATO figure – clashing against a populist-led executive, analysts warn of rising polarization in a country already navigating regional security challenges tied to Russia’s war in Ukraine.
With Reuters and European Parvda.
Caption: Protest in Brno on 15 February 2026 in support of President Petr Pavel [@HlavkovaAny]
Updated: February 16, 2026 - 07:47
