Foreign Policy: The Czech Republic May Dodge a Bullet to Free Speech This Year. But Will It in 2017?

Michal Vít was quoted in an article on Foreign Policy titled ''The Czech Republic May Dodge a Bullet to Free Speech This Year. But Will It in 2017?'' published the 1st of December 2016.

Our Research Fellow contributed with his opinion to a Foreign Policy article on two amendments Czech lawmakers are proposing regarding free speech.

He contributed on the topic of how bitter the rivarly between President Zeman and Prime Minister Sobotka remains, opposing claims that Zeman is looking for revenge against Sobotka and the two officials periodically clash on foreign policy and other issues.

But Michal Vít, a research fellow at Prague’s Europeum, told FP he believes Sobotka and Zeman are trying to calm relations.

As the second proposal is said to protect free speech during and after 2017 by restricting politicians' business interests (and prevent them from pursuing possesion of power over the media), Michal Vít also reacted on the prospectus of Andrej Babis becoming the next PM whilst still owning about hald of Czech media.

Vít noted that Babis does not himself tell his journalists what to print, and that they decide whether to run certain stories. 

You can read the whole arcitle on Foreign Policy's website.

Michal Vít
Research Fellow (until September 2018)

Topics: Political parties, National identity, V4