BBC World Questions comes to the Czech Republic at a critical time in the country’s future. Andrej Babis - the billionaire businessman who leads the centrist ANO movement - won October's ballot, but his minority government failed to win a mandatory confidence vote in Parliament and had to resign. Czech President Milos Zeman asked Babis to try again to form a new government. But Babis' negotiations have thus far failed to create a coalition. Some parliamentary parties are reluctant to govern with Babis due to fraud charges he faces.
This is a tumultuous time in Czech politics. BBC World Service Radio and the British Council will host a debate in the heart of the capital, Prague. BBC presenter Allan Little and four leading Czech politicians and commentators will be discussing, in English, the political landscape, the economy and the Czech Republic’s relationship with the EU in front of a large audience. Be part of the audience, ask your questions and have your say in a debate that will be heard round the world. The panel will include:
- Adam Vojtěch - Minister of Health
- Josef Skála - Communist Party
- Silvie Lauder - Journalist from weekly news magazine Respekt
- Tomáš Jirsa - PR consultant and political commentator
The programme will be recorded at Archa Theatre on 9 May 2018.
The event starts at 18.00 and will consist of a drinks reception, an artistic performance and the debate. The guests are kindly requested to arrive on time. For organisational reasons we cannot guarantee entry after 18.45.
BBC World Questions is a series of events delivered in partnership with the British Council. As a cultural relations and educational organisation and partner of the BBC World Service, the British Council helps to enable a platform where the general public can join a democratic debate on a global forum.
BBC World Service delivers news content around the world in English and 28 other language services, on radio, TV and digital, reaching a weekly audience of 246 million. As part of BBC World Service, BBC Learning English teaches English to global audiences. The BBC attracts a weekly global news audience of 320 million people to its international news services including BBC World Service, BBC World News television channel and bbc.com/news.
Admission is free, but online registration is required. Whilst we hope to accommodate everyone, please arrive in good time to be sure of a seat.
This is an English language debate; the event will not be interpreted to Czech.