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Thousands of Czechs rallied across the country on Sunday, February 15, 2026, demonstrating support for President Petr Pavel amid a deepening dispute with Foreign Minister Petr Macinka over a contentious cabinet appointment. The demonstrations, organized by the civic group Million Moments for Democracy, took place in over 400 municipalities, including Brno, following a large rally in Prague earlier this month.
The conflict centers on President Pavel’s refusal to approve Filip Turek as the country’s environment minister. Pavel cited racist, homophobic and sexist posts found on Turek’s Facebook page as the reason for his rejection. Turek has apologized for some of the posts but disputed the authenticity of others, according to reports.
Macinka, leader of the right-wing Motorists for Themselves party, accused Pavel of violating the constitution and threatened unspecified consequences if Turek was not appointed. Pavel, in turn, accused Macinka of blackmail, escalating the political tensions. Mikuláš Minář, chairman of Million Moments for Democracy, framed the dispute as a defense of Czech democracy against external influences. “This is no longer just about the president,” Minář said. “It’s time to create it clear that we are not Hungary or Slovakia – and that we will not let a group of oligarchs, extremists and thugs steal our country’s future.”
The current government, led by Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, was sworn in on December 15, 2025, following October elections. Babiš’s ANO movement formed a coalition with the Freedom and Direct Democracy party and Macinka’s Motorists for Themselves. The coalition’s agenda includes a shift away from support for Ukraine, a rejection of certain European Union policies, and proposed changes to the financing of public broadcasters, raising concerns about their independence.
President Pavel, a retired army general, has publicly expressed strong support for Ukraine in its conflict with Russia, a position that contrasts with the stance of the new Czech Cabinet and the governments of Hungary and Slovakia. The Million Moments for Democracy group is currently collecting signatures for a petition titled “Stojíme za prezidentem” (“We Stand Behind the President”), with over 760,000 signatures gathered so far. The group plans to hold a large rally at Letná if the petition surpasses one million signatures.
Similar rallies in support of President Pavel were held in cities including Hradec Králové, Pardubice, Zlín, Vrchlabí, Jeseník, Uherské Hradiště, and Třeboň, with participants displaying Czech, European Union, and Ukrainian flags. Some demonstrators also carried Iranian flags, and banners with slogans criticizing the government and calling for democracy were visible at the Prague rally.
