Thousands of Czechs took to the central square of Prague today, calling for the resignation of the government due to high inflation and soaring energy prices.

The police did not specify the number of people who gathered at the rally called “Czech Republic Against Poverty”.

The demonstration, like the one in March, was organized by PRO, an extra-parliamentary political party that had previously criticized Prime Minister Petr Fiala’s centre-right government for its handling of the energy crisis following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 14 months. PRO also accuses the government of restricting freedom of speech in order to fight disinformation and calls for pressure to achieve peace in Ukraine while denying a pro-Russian focus.

“Gather up what is left of your honor, realize that you are unable to work, and resign,” rally organizer and PRO leader Iddrich Reichl told a crowd that filled half of the capital’s Wenceslas Square, according to news site iDNES.cz. .

Then the assembled had to go to the seat of government.

The Czech Republic, like other European countries, is suffering from high inflation, and high energy prices are reducing household budgets. A recent poll by Czech television showed that support for the five-party ruling coalition is waning, while the largest opposition party, ANO of former Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, increased its lead over Fiala’s party to 29% from 20%.

Source: RES