Czech journalist faces hate campaign after exposing abuse allegations against MEP
PRAGUE - Apolena Rychlíková, editor-in-chief of the investigative outlet Page Not Found, has become the target of a coordinated online abuse campaign after publishing a report detailing a criminal complaint against far-right Czech MEP Filip Turek, filed by his former partner.
The complaint accuses him of rape and long-term abuse. Although the alleged incidents are beyond the statute of limitations and Turek denied any wrongdoing, the case has drawn significant political and public attention in Czechia just months before the national parliamentary elections, in which Turek is a candidate of the far-right Motorists party.
publication , Rychlíková has received a flood of vulgar messages and threats on social media. According to the Czech Committee of the International Press Institute (CZ IPI), the harassment campaign has included sexualised insults and attacks targeting her appearance and family.
Since, Rychlíková has received a flood of vulgar messages and threats on social media. According to the (CZ IPI), the harassment campaign has included sexualised insults and attacks targeting her appearance and family.
CZ IPI condemned the abuse as a deliberate attempt to intimidate and silence a journalist.
Hranatost ,' which has circulated offensive content and listed the Motorists party as a sponsor or author of some posts.
Of particular concern is the role of a pro-Turek social media account named ',' which has circulated offensive content and listed the Motorists party as a sponsor or author of some posts.
statement reads.
'We consider situations in which disparagement campaigns are helped by people close to political parties to be particularly dangerous, because they can expose journalists to a real threat from supporters of the politicians in question,' the CZ IPIreads.
The Motorists party has dismissed the allegations against Turek as politically motivated. Party chair Petr Macinka accused Rychlíková of launching a smear campaign and announced a criminal complaint for defamation. The party has also called on police to investigate the matter.
(cs)
(Aneta Zachová, EURACTIV.cz)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Euractiv
2 days ago
- Euractiv
FIREPOWER: France and friends in for EU's €150bn SAFE defence fund
Take a free trial of Euractiv Pro to get FIREPOWER in your inbox. Good afternoon and welcome back to Firepower. This week Firepower got word that France, along with Belgium and Romania, will likely join the EU's massive €150 billion SAFE funding programme for military procurement. More capitals may well follow in the next few days as the deadline to formally join will run out at the end of the month. Though it's not sure the EU countries will actually use (or want, or even need) the entire fund. More on that below. In today's edition, we also have fresh numbers from the Czech ammo initiative for Ukraine, while we explain why an extension for the EU's ammunition production iniative ASAP is as good as dead. Meanwhile, Firepower has obtained a list of NATO's draft calendar running through 2027, including a summit to be held in Ankara. We recommend you also watch out for Germany's Friedrich Merz and France's Emmanuel Macron meeting in Berlin on Wednesday, followed by their two defence ministers on Thursday. Franco-German defence cooperation will be high on their agenda given recent clashes over their joint fighter jet project. EXCLUSIVE: Trio onboard for SAFE defence spending Good news for the Commission first: FRANCE IS POISED TO JOIN the EU's €150 billion loan scheme for military procurement, sources told Firepower this week. So are Belgium and Romania. This would bring the total number of EU countries interested in the Commission's financing plan to nine, Firepower's tracking shows. Still, the clock is ticking: capitals have until 29 July to indicate how much money they want from the pot, and the industry still has little clarity on what exactly governments want to buy. Underspend: Despite the newcomers, the COMMISSION FEARS it will struggle to allocate the full €150 billion this autumn, four sources told Euractiv, because of a lack of interest in sizeable loans for rearmamanet. All in all, Brussels estimates EU countries will request between €75 and €100 billion, one of the people briefed on the file said. Ask us for the cash: The concern was made clear in a polite-but-pointed letter from EU defence and finance chiefs Andrius Kubilius and Valdis Dombrovskis sent last weekend seen by Euractiv, urging capitals to make use of the loans available. 'We look forward to constructive engagement to make SAFE a success', the letter reads. On your radar US in talks with Europe on tapping defence stockpiles for Ukraine EU vs TRUMP. Another piece of news arrived this week, stepping on the breaks of the EU's ambition to support EU-made products' research, production and procurement: Washington convinced a dozen of wealthy EU countries to stock up on more US-equipment – not only to arm Ukraine, but to replenish their own shelves – promising fast deliveries of the crown jewel: Patriots. The move left Switzerland 's deliveries hanging. Germany's Merz also said yesterday that its delivery to Ukraine could be finalised within weeks . If pouring billions into the American arms industry wasn't enough of a blow, the US envoy to NATO told Firepower that his 'top priority' is to promote defence industry cooperation and co-production with the Europeans, including joint ventures and expanding output. A potential conflict? We will be watching. RENDEZ-VOUS last week of August in Denmark, where EU foreign affairs ministers will discuss how to use Russia's frozen assets around the bloc to pay for American arms to send to Ukraine, EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas said . WAITING LIST. In the meantime, the industry is still waiting for NATO countries' shopping list, as reported by Firepower , meant to give arms makers perspective on incoming orders. EDIP GOVERNANCE DILEMMA. The last round of technical talks before the summer break on EDIP, the EU's blueprint for subsidising industry and joint military purchase, ended without a compromise on supply chain surveillance, according to Euractiv's information. MEPs and capitals proposals differ on who should map out and monitor supply chains. EU countries are wary of giving the Commission too much power to identify and report on their manufacturing capabilities. EU lawmakers, instead, are more open to Commission involvement, but only with safeguards for handling sensitive data. Negotiations resume the week of 22 September, when political negotiations kick off. ASAP NO MORE. The €500 million plan to boost ammunition production is officially dead, according to the latest agreement on the EU's mini- simplification package on defence, seen by Firepower, brining EU countries on the same page with the Parliament . NEW JOB. Jitka Látal Znamenáčková, the current Czech ambassador to the political and security committee in the Council, is moving to the Berlaymont with a focus on defence policies. RUSSIA ATTACKS. NATO countries "are determined to employ the full range of capabilities in order to deter, defend against and counter the full spectrum of cyber threats", they wrote in a strongly-worded statement against Russia published Friday after the United Kingdom identified spies targeting the country and its military allies with cyber attacks. EXCLUSIVE: NATO's 2025 – 2027 calendar The makeover of NATO HQ's entrance in the north of Brussels is finished, creating a much more enjoyable environment with benches and a garden for officials, diplomats, military personnel and reporters wanting to take a break in the sun between meetings. It seems the perfect place to get head-on the ministerials NATO has planned for 2026. Firepower has obtained a list of the Alliance's tentative calendar: Defence: 16-17 October, 11-12 February, and 18-19 June Foreign affairs: 2-3 December, 1-2 April, and 20-21 May (in Sweden for the informal meeting). NATO Summit is planned around 8 August in Ankara Looking ahead to 2026-2027: Defence: in October, on 17-18 February, and 17-18 June Foreign ministerials on 1-2 December, 7-8 April, in May in Croatia for the informal before the Albania Summit. The Money Corner Commission pitches €131bn for defence and space in EU budget MFF CHEAT SHEET. The Commission's proposed €131 billion for both defence and space for the next EU's seven-year budget is already making the rounds. But there's more for defence, including €17.7 billion for military mobility under the Connecting Europe Facility, €6.4 billion for collaborative defence and space research under Horizon Europe and a new DARPA-approach for the European Innovation Council. The €865 billion Cohesion Funds could also be tapped for defence. Von der Leyen has proposed a broader €150 billion-strong loan scheme called 'Catalyst Europe', similar to SAFE loans but not limited to defence. Meanwhile, the European Peace Facility, the EU's war fund to pay for weapons for third countries, including Ukraine, should get €30.5 billion. PAY UP. All the spending comes with a price tag. So, among other EU income streams, a taxation on cooperations with an annual net turnover of over €100 million is planned. While SMEs would be exempt, Europe's biggest defence players – think Airbus, Leonardo, Thales and MBDA – could be asked to contribute a share of their skyrocketing revenues. CIGARETTES FOR TANKS? The Commission wants the EU budget to get €78.4 billion over seven years from tobacco taxation, enough to cover a substantial portion of new defence spending. Read more. Bombshell budget Minutes before a key EU's long-term budget defence briefing at the Commission HQ in Brussels, the Berlaymont, a bomb alert drill locked the building down. Security told journalists to stay out, unless they wanted to be escorted to a bomb shelter. Ironically, the designated bomb shelter was none other than the Salle de Presse – exactly where reporters were trying to go in the first place. News from the Capitals THE NETHERLANDS said this week it is considering buying and repurposing 24 decommissioned train carriages of the state-owned railway operator NS to mobile military hospitals. Just earlier, the defence ministry also reached an agreement with airline KLM to keep former F-35 pilots up to date on their training. The move followed accusations that KLM was luring military pilots away from the air force. GERMANY is reportedly weighing in on acquiring a minority stake in the Franco-German defence company KNDS, amid concerns that the German half's planned share sell-off could upset the company's delicate bilateral ownership balance. Earlier this month, Berlin explored a possible stake in TKMS, the shipbuilding division of ThyssenKrupp, should it go public. These moves show how serious the Berlin is in following through on its intent to intervene when Germany's security interests are threatened by ownership changes of key defence companies. CZECH Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský warned this week that a victory of Andrej Babiš as prime minister in the October elections would sign the end of the signature ammunition initiative to Ukraine. Czechia and its 12 partners delivered 800,000 large calibre ammo have been delivered including 290,000 of the 155mm type to Kyiv in 2025, he said, hoping it will continue. While FRENCH prime minister François Bayrou pitched on Tuesday a total freeze of state spending in his 2026 budget plan, Emmanuel Macron announced €3.5 billion extra for defence, financed through 'productivity' (not debt!). Opposition leaders have already called for a vote of no confidence in the autumn. According to Socialist MP Anna Pic, talking to Firepower, Macron's figure is not fresh contracts, but what the government actually has to pay for some of what defence companies have already delivered.
Euractiv
3 days ago
- Euractiv
Czech president signs law criminalising communist propaganda
PRAGUE – Czech President Petr Pavel on Thursday signed an amendment to the country's criminal code that criminalises the promotion of communist ideology, placing it on the same footing as Nazi propaganda. The revised legislation introduces prison sentences of up to five years for anyone who 'establishes, supports or promotes Nazi, communist, or other movements which demonstrably aim to suppress human rights and freedoms or incite racial, ethnic, national, religious or class-based hatred.' The change follows calls from Czech historical institutions , including the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes, to correct what they viewed as a legal imbalance. The Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (KSČM), led by MEP Kateřina Konečná and now part of a new electoral alliance called 'Stačilo' ('Enough'), condemned the move as politically motivated. 'This is yet another failed attempt to push KSČM outside the law and intimidate critics of the current regime,' the party said . It remains unclear how the new law will be applied to parties like KSČM. The party currently holds no seats in parliament, but recent polls put its alliance at 5% – enough to return to the lower house in October's elections. (cs, de)
Euractiv
3 days ago
- Euractiv
EU must take lead role on pharma, and patient access, says Czech minister
Czech Deputy Health Minister Michaela Matoušková (STAN, EPP) is calling for stronger EU action on pharmaceutical policy, better coordination on digital health, and a more unified approach to patient access to innovative medicines across the bloc. In an interview with Euractiv, Matoušková urged the EU to move from passive coordination to proactive support, particularly when it comes to ensuring equitable access to innovative medicines and building the Union's strategic autonomy in healthcare. Matoušková, who took office in February this year, believes the COVID-19 pandemic and the EU's fragmented response exposed structural weaknesses that Brussels now has an opportunity to address. 'We have the brains, but we lack coordination – and that is the role of the European Union,' she said. She argues that the EU level is the only viable arena to tackle the uneven and delayed access to new medicines that persists across member states. 'Some smaller states do not introduce medicines, even though the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has approved them, as quickly as others. If we really want a patient-focused approach, this has to change,' she said. The Czech deputy minister voiced strong support for the pharmaceutical package currently negotiated by EU institutions in the trilogues. However, she underlined that success will depend on finding the right balance between patient access, price and industry incentives. 'The compromise is crucial,' she said. She noted that the Commission's proposal rightly aims to increase access to medicines in all member states, but that this will require cooperation from industry. 'They need to understand what we are trying to achieve: speed of rollout and availability,' Matoušková said. Innovation vouchers One of her concerns is the growing trend of pharmaceutical companies threatening to pull out of Europe in response to proposed changes in market exclusivity rules. 'The USA invests significantly more – three times more than the EU, I believe. But it's not just about money. It's about how fast we bring medicines to market and how long the data and market protection lasts,' she said. Matoušková acknowledged the financial pressures innovators face and expressed support for maintaining incentives that allow for returns on investment. To bridge the interests of both patients and industry, she supported 'a system of innovation vouchers' as a complementary tool to support faster development and approval of new drugs, while maintaining investment appeal. She also addressed the broader relationship between innovation and generics, noting, 'I think generics will always be here. But we need to push for innovation, that is what we need to protect.' Matoušková also sees digital health as an area where EU leadership is urgently needed. While the European Health Data Space regulation has opened a promising debate, the deputy minister warns that implementation is lagging in some areas. 'We would like to have shared medical documentation, but we are missing regional data networks. We do not have enough infrastructure to make it work,' said Matoušková. She believes the EU should step in with funding and coordination. 'The EU should provide the legal framework, the conditions, and the funding. The EU should be the roof over the whole structure,' she said. Cross-border cooperation Her ambition is also to see greater EU involvement in cross-border emergency services. 'Why do we need bilateral treaties for cross-border emergency care? We could define it at the EU level,' she said. In the longer term, Matoušková urges Brussels to invest in services that reflect demographic changes and make a difference on the ground, such as palliative care and home-based support for older people. 'Personally, I am not a fan of building more facilities. Care should move closer to patients, into the field, into their homes,' she said. She would also welcome more EU guidance on workforce reform, including a broader debate on prescription rights for qualified non-physician personnel, adding that, 'We have very erudite non-physician professionals in Czechia, but they haven't been granted the appropriate competences.' Her message to EU policymakers is clear: health policy must be treated as a strategic investment. 'We should see the EU not as a repressive body, but as a source of change – an institution that supports innovation. Not as a dictator, but as a partner that helps address our needs,' she said. [Edited by Vasiliki Angouridi, Brian Maguire]
