During the celebrations of the Day of the Establishment of the Independent Czechoslovak State on 28 October 2026, a gathering was held in the Konírna hall at the headquarters of the Ministry of Culture, organized, according to a commentary by Forum 24, by the Czech Union of Freedom Fighters. Speakers included the Minister of Culture Oto Klempíř (Motoristé), former President Miloš Zeman, Foreign Minister Petr Macinka, and the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Tomio Okamura. Also attending was the Minister of Defence Jaromír Zůna (for SPD).[1][2]
Klempíř recalled Voskovec and Werich: 'Two men who made fun of those who ruled over them. They then considered themselves the greatest and only moral arbiters. When I look at today's times, it reminds me of something.'[3] According to iDNES.cz, this was an allusion to the current political situation, including the dispute over the abolition of licence fees.[1] Forum 24, in a commentary, noted that the minister did not explain his judgment in more detail, and that his critics point to his own past.[3]
In his speech, Zeman spoke out against empty and pathos-laden speeches, which he said were typical of 28 October: 'Speaking on 28 October is, in a way, a very easy job.' He referred to President Masaryk's statement that indignation is not a programme, in connection with the demonstrations in the streets of Prague, which he called hysterical, and to Finance Minister Alois Rašín's slogan 'Work and save', in connection with the state budget deficit. According to iDNES.cz, Zeman had already earlier decided not to attend the evening ceremony awarding state honours at Prague Castle.[1]
According to iDNES.cz, former President Václav Klaus gave a speech in the morning near the Municipal House in Prague, saying: 'Our statehood is once again under threat, and we should be aware of that.' Macinka stated that the right to criticize is beyond question, as is the mandate arising from democratic elections. Okamura said that 28 October symbolizes the ability of Czechs and Slovaks to decide their own fate.[1]
The #500proOldu Initiative
After the Ministry of Culture rejected a request by the association Díky, že můžem for a grant of one million crowns for the celebrations of 17 November, an initiative tagged #500proOldu emerged on the social network X. The association organizes the Korzo národní event every year. According to the organizers, this year's programme of 160 items will cost 5.5 million crowns.[4] On 22 October 2026, one user on X called for people to send 500 crowns to the association's fundraiser. This referred to the reward that, according to his StB file, Minister of Culture Oto Klempíř received after being registered in 1984 as an agent under the code name Olda.[4]
Contributions to the fundraiser kept growing. Besides 500 crowns, donors also sent 1,711 crowns and 1,989 crowns, referencing the date and year of the anniversary. According to Novinky, the fundraiser exceeded 4.6 million crowns, and the association kept it open so that Korzo národní would remain accessible in future years too.[4]
On X, Klempíř wrote that not even an important, traditional event can stand above the rules that apply to everyone. ODS chairman Martin Kupka criticized his approach and recalled his past as an StB collaborator.[5]
Statement by Literary Magazines on Grant Conditions
On 29 October 2026, the literary magazines A2, Host, iLiteratura.cz, Plav, Revolver Revue, Revue Prostor, Souvislosti, and Tvar issued a joint statement entitled We Are Against the Policy of Censorship. In it, they objected to a new condition for the Ministry of Culture's 2027 grants, which the ministry published on 22 October. Under this condition, the call for grant applications excludes general political reporting, commentary on current events, and political journalism whose main subject is not literature or art.[6][7]
The magazines, united in the Asociace živá kultura, called the condition unacceptable and compared it to censorship measures used by authoritarian regimes. They did not dispute the ministry's right to determine the purpose of grant programmes, but they rejected the idea that a provider of public funding should decide which topics belong in a magazine. They demand that the same conditions apply for 2027 as in 2026. According to the statement, the ministry did not discuss the change with either the expert committee or the professional community.[6][7]
The ministry, led by Oto Klempíř (for Motoristé), denied that this constituted censorship. On Facebook, it stated that the programme is not intended for general political journalism and that past political commentary is not an obstacle to receiving a grant. According to the ministry, it funds culture, not politics.[6][7]
The Ministry of Culture's 2027 Budget in the Chamber Committee
On 29 October 2026, the Chamber of Deputies' Media Committee recommended approving the Ministry of Culture's budget for next year with expenditures of CZK 19.26 billion, about 1.7 billion more than in this year's approved budget. The ministry's senior director Jan Vořechovský named as priorities the operation of institutions established by the ministry and their staffing, investment in cultural infrastructure, and support for cultural activities.[6][7]
According to Echo24, nearly CZK 3.8 billion is going to churches, of which 3.2 billion represents compensation under the Church Restitution Act. Contributions to the operation of budgetary organizations amount to about CZK 7.5 billion, and operating grants to non-profit organizations amount to CZK 1.7 billion.[7]
Former Minister of Culture Martin Baxa (ODS) said he disagreed with the proposed state budget with a deficit of CZK 386 billion, but that he would support the Ministry of Culture's budget. Minister Oto Klempíř (for Motoristé) reiterated before the committee that changes to the grant system and conflict-of-interest rules were necessary; the committee took note of his information on the change in grant conditions and the composition of the expert committees.[6][7]
Chronology
- — Actors of the National Theatre called on Minister of Culture Oto Klempíř to resign at a demonstration in Prague. ČTK / České noviny iDNES.cz
- — The Ministry of Culture awarded the State Prizes for Literature and Translation and the Ministry of Culture Prizes in a closed-door format in the Suk Hall of the Rudolfinum, without an audience or a Czech Television broadcast, which prompted a protest reading by artists in front of the building. Deník N ČTK / České noviny
- — The Ministry of Culture presented five of the seven State Prizes and Ministry of Culture Prizes for outstanding contribution to culture at the Rudolfinum; Culture Minister Oto Klempíř did not attend the ceremony, and a protest against its format took place outside the building. ČTK / České noviny Deník.cz
- — The literary magazines A2, Host, iLiteratura.cz, Plav, Revolver Revue, Revue Prostor, Souvislosti and Tvar protested in a joint statement against the Ministry of Culture's new funding condition banning writing about politics. ČTK / České noviny MediaGuru
- — The Chamber of Deputies' media committee recommended approving the Ministry of Culture's budget for next year with expenditures of 19.3 billion koruna, an annual increase of about 1.7 billion koruna. ČTK / České noviny Echo24
- — At the celebrations of the anniversary of the founding of independent Czechoslovakia, Culture Minister Oto Klempíř compared today's critics of the government to the satire of Voskovec and Werich, drawing criticism from opponents who pointed to his own past, while former president Miloš Zeman used his speech to criticise empty and pathetic speeches typical of the holiday. iDNES.cz Lidovky.cz
- — A fundraising appeal for this year's Korzo Národní event in Prague, which commemorates the events of 17 November, exceeded nine million crowns; the Ministry of Culture did not grant the organisers a subsidy for this year. ČTK / České noviny iDNES.cz
- — After the Ministry of Culture rejected a subsidy, an initiative called #500proOldu appeared on the social network X, in which people send 500 crowns to the collection of the association Díky, že můžem for the 17 November celebrations, referring to the payment that Culture Minister Oto Klempíř received according to his StB file. Novinky.cz FORUM 24
Sources
- iDNES.cz — 28 October 2026
- Lidovky.cz — 28 October 2026
- FORUM 24
- Novinky.cz — 22 October 2026
- FORUM 24 — 22 October 2026
- ČTK / České noviny — 29 October 2026
- Echo24 — 29 October 2026