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Czech MEP Nikola Bartůšek has been expelled from the right-wing political group Patriots for Europe (PfE) in the European Parliament for allegedly damaging the group’s reputation. Ondřej Knotek, head of the Czech delegation in PfE and an ANO MEP, confirmed this to the Czech News Agency on Tuesday but declined to provide further details. Bartůšek, elected to the European Parliament for the Czech populist party Přísaha (Oath) in 2024, confirmed the news, but refused to comment on why she will now sit as a non-attached MEP.

The Patriots for Europe, led by Jordan Bardella of France’s far-right National Rally, is the European Parliament’s third-largest political group with 84 members, including seven MEPs from the Czech ANO Party.

Around 1,800 of the nearly 4,500 employees of Czech Television and Czech Radio have signed a statement expressing concern over attempts to control public service media. They view the government’s plan to abolish television and radio license fees – and instead fund public media from the state budget – as a threat to the independence of these institutions.

The current government, formed by ANO, Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD), and the Motorists’ Party, has included the abolition of public media fees in its policy program. It argues that funding public media from the state budget, starting in 2027, would save money for citizens. However, the opposition and parts of the professional community see this move as endangering media independence.

On Monday, the OS Media trade union sent an open letter to Culture Minister Oto Klempíř (Motorists’ Party), stating that it is ready to participate in negotiations on changes to public media financing.

Czechia has improved its position in the global corruption perceptions index compiled by international organisation Transparency International, climbing to 39th place from 46th in the previous ranking. Slovakia, by contrast, slipped further down the list. The annual report, covering 182 countries, once again puts top scores to Denmark, Finland and Singapore. Despite Czechia’s progress, its score remains below the average for European Union member states, a point highlighted by TI’s Czech chapter in its reaction to the results.

Crowd of fans welcomed Czech snowboarder Zuzana Maděrová at the Olympic Festival in České Budějovice, a day after she won gold in the parallel giant slalom at the Winter Olympics in Italy. The 22-year-old greeted supporters from the stage and later surprised them by pouring beer for members of her support team. “I still can’t really take it in that I’m an Olympic champion,” Maděrová said. “But when I see how many people are here and how many messages I’m getting, I’m starting to believe it.” She admitted the success would change her life, but said she enjoys meeting people and public events.