Mass rallies in support of president take place in Prague
Thousands of people gathered in Prague's main squares on Sunday to demonstrate their support for Czech President Petr Pavel amid a dispute with Foreign Minister Petr Macinka over the head of state's refusal to appoint Filip Turek as Minister of the Environment.
Radio Prague stated this in an article, Ukrinform says.
It is noted that the dispute escalated on Tuesday, when at an extraordinary press conference Pavel stated that the foreign minister had sent him text messages via his adviser Petr Kolarz, which the president considers an attempt at blackmail.
Against the backdrop of rising tensions over the incident, opposition parties initiated a vote of no confidence in the Babis administration, which is scheduled for next Tuesday, while the civic association "Million Moments for Democracy" organized a rally in support of the head of state.
The organizers of Sunday's rally, which reportedly drew about 90,000 participants, announced that following the Prague demonstration, further events are planned across the country on February 15.
Pavel thanked everyone who came to take part in the demonstration and praised people's willingness to stand up for decency, truth, and mutual respect. Czech society, he said, is capable of clearly and decisively defending the right cause at the right moment, he wrote on social media.
Speaking on Czech Television on Sunday, Macinka said he respects the right of opposition voters to express their views. However, he added that they should also respect the results of the elections held four months ago.
It is noted that Prime Minister Andrej Babis has called on both sides to resolve the dispute out of the public spotlight.
According to the organization "Million Moments for Democracy", a petition in support of the president has already been signed by 600,000 people.
As Ukrinform reported, Czech President Petr Pavel said on Tuesday that Foreign Minister Petr Macinka was blackmailing him and called on the competent authorities to assess the official's actions. He also published on social media the correspondence between Macinka and an adviser in the president's office, the content of which he considers blackmail.
Czech Foreign Minister Petr Macinka denies that he is exerting pressure on the president of the republic in an attempt to achieve his goals.