Thousands rallied in Prague on Monday, the anniversary of the 1989 Velvet Revolution that toppled communism in former Czechoslovakia, against Czech billionaire Andrej Babis, who is in talks to form the country’s next government.
The anniversary marks the brutal crushing by communist police of a peaceful student march in the centre of Prague, sparking an uprising that toppled the Moscow-steered regime after four decades.
Like in the other Soviet-bloc countries at the time, the revolution restored democracy in Czechoslovakia, which then split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia four years later.
This year, protests were called in both countries — in Prague against Babis and in Bratislava and other Slovak cities against nationalist Kremlin-friendly Prime Minister Robert Fico.
Large crowds flooded Prague’s historic Old Town Square at a rally called “Czechia is not for sale”, carrying banners criticising Babis and chanting “Throw away Babis”, an AFP journalist observed.
“We have freedom and I don’t want to lose it,” Jachym Prokop, a 19-year-old student, told AFP, an EU flag draped over his shoulders.
“They are dragging us towards the East rather than the West,” he said.
– ‘Mafia principle’ –
Babis, a self-described “Trumpist,” is in talks with the far-right SPD and another EU-sceptic party to form a government after his catch-all ANO party won a general election in October in the EU and NATO member of 10.9 million people.
President Petr Pavel, a former NATO general, who is due to name the new government, has called on Babis to first tell the public how he will deal with his conflict of interest as a politician deciding on subsidies and a businessman receiving them.
Babis, 71, who was already prime minister between 2017 and 2021, owns the sprawling Agrofert food and chemicals holding.
A former Communist and the seventh-wealthiest Czech according to Forbes magazine, Babis is facing trial over EU subsidy fraud.
The Slovak-born politician has denied any wrongdoing, calling the allegations a smear campaign.
Mikulas Minar, the head of the Million Moments for Democracy movement that organised the rally, has accused the new government of emerging on a “mafia principle”.
He has said Babis and SPD leader Tomio Okamura, facing trial over inciting hatred, may want to back each other up as political allies to avoid punishment.
– ‘Had enough’ –
In Slovakia, tens of thousands filled Bratislava’s Freedom Square under heavy rain, shouting “Enough of Fico” and carrying banners reading “Freedom is not a gift but a right”, according to an AFP journalist.
“Back in ’89 I was on the square, fighting against communism, and today I absolutely dislike where this government is dragging us,” L’ubos Dobsovic, a 60-year-old entrepreneur, told AFP.
“I want normal democracy to return, normal relations… and that we don’t become a Trojan horse for Russia.”
Another protester, Gabriela Marienkova, 52, who works in public administration, said “we’ve had enough of what’s happening.”
The 61-year-old Fico, also a former Communist, is serving a fourth term as prime minister in the EU and NATO member of 5.4 million people.
Since his return to office, Fico’s government has launched a crackdown on non-profit organisations, cultural institutions and some media outlets it deems “hostile”, sparking large protests in the heavily polarised country.
Fico has also angered Slovaks by fostering close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin and rejecting military aid to Ukraine, battling a Russian invasion since 2022.
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© Agence France-Presse
