"Civil society in the Czech Republic seems to have won an important victory in defending their democratic freedoms ..."

Vladimir Vedrashko, Prague:

The most acute phase of the crisis around Czech television is completed. In the lower house of the parliament of the republic, prolonged debate took place, as a result of which amendments to the law on television were approved.

Czech parliamentarians made extraordinary efforts on Saturday night to stop political intervention in state television. 133 Voices of 194 adopted amendments, which from now on exclude the direct impact of political parties on the maintenance of television programs. The new text of the law should still be a discussion in the Senate. Then it should be signed by the president of the country, who throughout the crisis took the side of striking journalists.

The main innovations of the law are the provision that the future leadership of television will be elected by a council formed from professionals and representatives of public organizations, but by no means from the ranks of existing politicians, as it was still.

The strike of Czech television workers broke out in late December in protest against the change of leadership and strengthening, according to the striking, political engagement of television. This action from the very beginning was quite contradictory from the point of view of the legislation, in particular, the law on strikes. However, journalists who resolutely defended the right of citizens to free access to information did not turn to the letter of the law, but to the letter and spirit of the Constitution. Thus, even with a strong desire of the state to apply decisive measures against the striking, it became impossible. Moreover, the campaign of journalists received such a massive support for the population of Prague and some other cities where there are departments of state television, that the situation clearly began to resemble the performances of the 1989 velvet revolution. In any case, Prague has not seen such many manifestations on the Vaclavskaya Square from the time of the overthrow of the communist regime.

So, the result of the past week is the voluntary and long -awaited resignation of the Czech television general of Irji Khodach - however, not only under the pressure of striking, but also for health reasons. However, the main result of the week is a fundamental shift towards legislative support for true freedom of speech in the media of the Czech Republic.

The crisis has not yet been final. On the screens of two state channels during already regular broadcasting, the usual word "strike" is still glowing. But the requirements are now different - the shift from their posts of those personnel that were appointed by the former director. Experts believe that the situation will be resolved over the very near future. Civil society in the Czech Republic seems to have won an important victory in defending its democratic freedoms.