Unknown neighbor – The state of democracy in the Czech Republic
The Czech Republic and Europe: The democratic state of the EU member
The Czech Republic is located in the heart of Europe. Regensburg and Prague are only three hours apart by car. But despite the geographical proximity, many Germans know very little about their neighbouring country. The republic hardly appears in German media coverage and the country remains under the radar, especially politically. This was changed in the summer and autumn by large-scale demonstrations in the capital city of Prague and other major cities in the country, where several hundred thousand demonstrators (more than 200,000 in Prague alone) took to the streets. Those were the biggest civic protests since 1989, the main demand being the resignation of Prime Minister Andrej Babiš. The billionaire and second richest man in the country – some call him „Czech Donald Trump“ – is alleged to have embezzled millions of euros in EU subsidies through his companies. But despite great social discontent, Babiš remained in office. Let’s take a closer look at what has happened since the protests and at what state the democracy of the Czech Republic is in. We will also question the role of the EU and why the Union did not do more about the affair.
Simply enter the Meeting-ID: 832 4861 1143 and the password „Europa“ on Zoom.
