Czech Public Broadcasters Strike Over Shift to State Funding

Czech Television and Czech Radio workers struck June 22, 2026, to protest legislation replacing licence-fee funding with direct state financing. The shift routes public media budgets through annual government appropriations, creating leverage points for political control. Prime Minister Andrej Babiš's coalition approved the bill despite warnings from the EU and press-freedom groups. The visible strike signals concern to both domestic audiences and Brussels, where compliance with the EU's 2024 Media Freedom Act remains unresolved.