Babiš wants to merge Czech Television and Czech Radio

“We want them to be financed differently. One possibility is to combine Czech Radio and Czech Television. They save a lot there,” he said. According to him, some duplicated agendas could, for example, be merged, which would reduce expenses. According to him, there are synergies, both institutions also have “huge assets”.

The head of ANO repeatedly criticized CT for alleged bias. He suggests that concessionaire fees, the increase of which the government is now proposing, should not be collected, and that the budget should be decided by politicians, or rather by the government that is currently in power.

However, according to experts, this can significantly undermine the political independence of public media. Unexpectedly, three years ago, the Slovak government also joined this and it led to the nationalization of public television from July 2023.

“We would do it according to the model of other states. Most countries finance public media in a way other than fees. I see no reason why even young people should pay for mobile phones when they are not watching TV,” said Babiš. He did not specify where he wants to be inspired.

The big media amendment proposes an increase in the television fee from 135 to 150 crowns per month and the radio fee from 45 to 55 crowns per month.

Babiš also stated that he wants to achieve a reduction in the salaries of politicians and cut compensation for everyone. He was outraged by the fact that dozens of subcommittees operate in the House of Representatives, for which their chairpersons receive an allowance in addition to their salary, but in fact do not report any activity. News drew attention to it.

“We need to cancel the subcommittees, the deputy should have one salary and no compensation,” Babiš said in the debate.

The salary of an ordinary deputy increased by 7,100 crowns this year to 109,500 crowns per month. The chairman of the committee will improve from 144,100 crowns to 154,100 crowns if the proposal is approved by the Senate.

According to Babiš, a package of money should be available to the parliamentary club, which would, for example, pay for the work of assistants.

According to his words, he did not like the fact that among the chairmen of non-functional subcommittees there are representatives of ANO, and he emphatically blacked it out for them.

For example, MP Berenika Peštová (ANO) established a subcommittee for EU environmental legislation, but so far it has met only once, although she also convened several seminars. For this, she has received about 700 thousand crowns so far.

Babiš called on ANO MPs to give the extra money they will receive thanks to the salary increase to charity.

Although the legislators had to modify the law on salaries due to the decision of the Constitutional Court and this week they voted for this year’s increase of seven percent for politicians, judges and prosecutors, ANO does not agree with this. However, if the law is not adopted, everyone will be without pay in January.

In the debate, Babiš also answered the question of what taxes ANO plans to reduce, when they promise it in their pre-election slogans.

“For example, the income tax of legal entities, i.e. companies, which the current government has increased (from 19 to 21 percent – editor’s note),” said Babiš. “We want to reduce the tax here, although not as much as, for example, in Hungary, where it is ten percent,” he added.

On the other hand, the head of ANO called it an excellent idea to tax real estate when sold to citizens from countries outside the European Union up to one hundred percent, as proposed by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.

Babiš also repeated that his eventual government would like to buy back shares from minority shareholders of CEZ and thus ensure “cheap energy for the people.” “CEZ should never have been privatized,” says the former prime minister.