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Unions at Czech Radio and Czech Television have denied that Tuesday’s meeting with Culture Minister Oto Klempíř on the planned overhaul of public media financing had achieved a breakthrough and brought their stands closer. According to the ministry’s statement, the two sides managed to find agreement in several key areas of the draft bill.

Czech Radio’s union representative said no tangible progress had been made and the public broadcasters had merely repeated their reservations to the bill, pointing out the dire consequences the reform would have in terms of pesonnel and output.

The unions declared an open-ended strike alert two weeks ago over a planned government law on public service media, which among other measures would shift broadcaster funding from licence fees to the state budget.

Thousands of people gathered on Old Town Square on Tuesday to protest against a proposed overhaul of public media financing which they fear would undermine media independence. The protest, titled “Hands Off the Media”, was organized by the civic group Million Moments for Democracy.

The organizers are demanding the withdrawal of a proposed bill that would make the country’s broadcasters dependent on state finances and an end to what they describe as efforts to bring Czech Television and Czech Radio under political control.

A petition titled Hands Off the Media, has already collected around 170,000 signatures.

Speakers highlighted the historic role of public media in 1945, 1968 and 1989 when they became the voice of resistance and the struggle for freedom, telling the crowd that the time had now come to defend Czech radio and television from politicians.

"If Europe begins moving forward on key issues in a narrower circle of willing states, the Czech Republic should not stand aside," President Petr Pavel said in a speech at the “Europe as a Task” conference at Prague Castle. According to Pavel, many EU member states increasingly believe Europe can no longer afford to wait until everyone is ready for everything at the same time. He said Czechia should sit at the negotiating table and work to shape outcomes in its own best interests.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who is on a two-day visit to the Czech Republic, also delivered an opening speech at the conference. He said Europe currently faces the need to respond to the growing security threat from Russia and to the position of the U.S. administration that Europe should take responsibility for its own defence. “Europe has the tools for that,” he said.

Political leaders, war veterans and members of the public gathered outside Czech Radio’s Prague headquarters on Tuesday to mark the 81st anniversary of the Prague Uprising against Nazi rule at the end of WWII.

The radio station was the focal point of the uprising and the site of one of the biggest clashes with Nazi forces as citizens came to defend the building. Over 100 people died in its immediate vicinity and hundreds of others fell at the barricades that went up around Prague. Altogether, an estimated 12,000 people were killed around the country.

Among those present at the ceremony at Czech Radio’s headquarters were Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Tomio Okamura, deputy chair of the Senate, Jiří Drahoš, Defense Minister Jaromír Zůna and Prague Mayor Bohuslav Svoboda.

Commemorative ceremonies marking the anniversary of the Prague Uprising have also been taking place in towns and cities around the country.