On 22 October 2026 the organisers of the Korzo Národní event launched a public fundraiser for the 17 November celebrations after the Ministry of Culture refused to pay out a grant.
The organisers of the Korzo Národní event launched a public fundraiser on 22 October 2026 for the 17 November celebrations on Národní in Prague. They are responding to the Ministry of Culture's decision not to pay out a grant this year to the association Díky, že můžeš. The fundraiser runs on the Darujme.cz platform and had exceeded one million crowns by the time the report was published.[1][2]
The ministry's reasons
Minister of Culture Oto Klempíř said that the association does not meet the conditions of the grant call. The call is intended to commemorate anniversaries that correspond to whole decades since the founding of an event or institution, and in 2026 it will be 37 years since 1989. According to the minister, the significance, tradition or attendance of an event cannot replace meeting the conditions. The daily iDNES.cz points out that the same condition applied in earlier years and that none of the previous ministers of culture denied support because of it. According to Lidovky, Klempíř said that he would attend the event in person.[1][2]
The organisers say that they do not prepare the event through an agency and that the cooperation of suppliers, performers and dozens of volunteers lowers the costs of the necessary production minimum. The celebrations on Národní can therefore be free of charge.[1][2]
Support for the fundraiser
The STAN movement called for support at a Thursday press conference. Miroslava Němcová and the director Jan Hřebejk also announced their support. The South Bohemian Region earmarked CZK 300,000 for the event, and the governor Martin Kuba (Naše Česko) justified this by saying that commemorating the November events is a matter for the whole country. The governor of the Central Bohemian Region, Petra Pecková (STAN), announced that she wants to submit approval of support to the region's council on Tuesday. The governor of the South Moravian Region, Jan Grolich (KDU-ČSL), said that the region can contribute only on the basis of a grant application, which can be submitted until the end of October 2026.[1][2]
Chronology
- — Korzo Národní has launched a fundraising appeal in response to Minister Klempíř withdrawing its subsidies. iDNES.cz Lidovky.cz
Sources
- iDNES.cz — 22 October 2026
- Lidovky.cz — 22 October 2026