FM Macinka says democracy not threatened by government but by pressure groups

Democracy in Czechia is not under threat from the government but from pressure groups unwilling to accept the outcome of free elections, Petr Macinka (Motorists) said in response to Saturday’s protest on Prague’s Letná plain. According to him, the coalition of ANO, SPD and Motorists remains stable and will not yield to opposition pressure.

Macinka dismissed the protest, which organizers said drew at least a quarter of a million people, as a standard opposition event. He criticized its speakers and described the gathering as an “agitational action”. SPD MP Radek Koten also reacted, saying it was positive that people could peacefully express their views. At the same time, he stressed that the government was fulfilling its programme and promises made to voters, even if that displeased those who lost the election.