The World Briefly

April 18, 2023

Pocketbook Politics

Czech Republic

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Thousands of people protested in the Czech Republic’s capital Prague this week, demanding the government’s resignation over high inflation and spiking energy prices, Reuters reported.

The protests, named “Czechia against poverty,” were organized by the new, non-parliamentary party PRO, which has criticized the center-right coalition of Prime Minister Petr Fiala for its handling of the energy crisis that has impacted Europe since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year.

PRO – which translated from Czech stands for “law, respect, expertise” – has accused the government of hurting freedom of speech, as authorities make efforts to curb misinformation and fake news, the Associated Press noted.

The party also rejected allegations that it is pro-Russian and has called on the government to push for peace in Ukraine. Meanwhile, some protesters were reportedly signing a petition demanding the country leaves NATO.

Inflation in the Czech Republic, while high, has been on the decline in recent months, dropping to 15 percent in March, compared with 16.7 percent in February and 17.5 percent the month before.

While Fiala has worked to reduce the burden on families and businesses, his coalition has also sought to reduce massive budget deficits and has lately drawn minor protests for slowing an inflation-linked increase in state pensions.

This story originally appeared in the April 18, 2023 newsletter, Fathers and Sons.