Thousands protest in Czech capital calling on the government to resign

Thousands of people rallied again in the Czech capital, Prague, on Sunday calling on the government to resign as they protested against high inflation and energy prices.

It was the second such rally in the central Wenceslas Square, called for by a new non-parliamentary political party PRO, which in English stands for Law, Respect, and Expertise.

“We want to express our disapproval of this government, of the political situation, of what’s going on in the Czech Republic and in fact in the whole of Europe,” said one protestor, Renata Urbanova.

Both inflation and the cost of energy have soared over the past year cutting into household budgets.

“I am concerned about our future, it seems to me that companies are going bust, people have less and less money and I really feel uncertain about what the future will bring,” said Vladana Malirova who also took part in the protest.

PRO has criticised Prime Minister Petr Fiala’s centre-right government for its handling of the energy crisis that has hit Europe since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine more than a year ago.

While the prime minister has tried to ease the burden on families and companies, his government has also sought to rein in high budget deficits.

Protesters at the “Czechia Against Poverty” rally also slammed Fiala’s government for poor communication with voters.