布拉格，10月23日电 —— 捷克执政联盟周五推动快速通过一项立法，该法案将把公共媒体融资纳入国家预算并削减资金，批评人士称此举威胁新闻独立。
PRAGUE, Oct 23 - The Czech ruling coalition moved on Friday to fast-track legislation that would move public media financing into the state budget and cut funding, a plan critics say threatens press independence.
由亿万富翁安德烈·巴比什领导、并得到一个亲俄极右翼政党支持的民粹主义政府，经常攻击批评其政策的公共媒体和私营媒体。
The populist government, led by billionaire Andrej Babis and backed by a pro-Russian far-right party, has frequently attacked public and private media critical of its policies.
该提案此前已被提出，但周五意外地被提交议会进行一读，内容包括将捷克电视台和捷克电台的资金削减约15%，可能于明年生效。
The proposal, which had been flagged previously but was unexpectedly brought to a first parliamentary reading on Friday, would cut funding for Czech Television and Czech Radio by about 15%, possibly during next year.
该提案还将取消许可费制度——目前家庭每月缴纳205克朗（约合9.44美元），转而通过国家预算为广播机构提供资金。
It would also scrap the licence fee system under which households pay 205 crowns ($9.44) a month and instead finance the broadcasters through the state budget.
批评人士称，这些变动将削弱广播机构，使其更容易受到政治影响。捷克电视台是该国主要年龄段收视率最高的广播机构。
Critics say the changes would weaken the broadcasters and leave them more vulnerable to political influence. Czech Television is the country's most-watched broadcaster across the main age groups.
在另一项不同寻常的举措中，众议院投票决定将一读辩论延长至周六，以克服反对派的阻挠。一读是法案通过所需的三读中的第一读。
In another unusual move, the lower house voted to extend debate, the first of three required readings, into Saturday in a bid to overcome opposition obstruction.
反对党海盗党领袖兹德涅克·赫里布将政府的行为比作前总理维克托·奥尔班执政下的匈牙利，后者的统治以媒体自由和法治争议为标志。
Zdenek Hrib, leader of the opposition Pirate Party, likened the government's behaviour to Hungary under former prime minister Viktor Orban, whose rule was marked by disputes over media freedom and the rule of law.
赫里布在议会开场辩论中说：“我们在这里看到，安德烈·巴比什及其随从……已经踏上了建立威权政权的轨道。”
"We are seeing here that Andrej Babis and his entourage... have embarked on the trajectory of installing an authoritarian regime," Hrib said in the opening debate in parliament.
政府称计划顺应欧洲趋势 执政联盟中的领头党公民不满行动党（ANO）在去年大选前承诺废除许可费，使家庭不再直接为公共广播买单。
GOVERNMENT SAYS PLAN FOLLOWS EUROPEAN TREND ANO, the leading party in the coalition, pledged before last year's election to abolish licence fees so households would no longer pay directly for public broadcasting.
提交议会的提案称：“政府作出这一改变，是顺应欧洲趋势，即越来越多的欧洲国家摒弃以收费为资金来源的原则。”
"The government is led to this change by a European trend under which ever more European countries depart from the fee-funded principle," the proposal submitted to parliament said.
政府辩称，广播机构需要节省开支，且这些变革不会影响编辑报道。
The government has argued that savings are needed at the broadcasters and that the changes would not affect editorial coverage.
此举与政府遏制预算赤字的努力显得格格不入。2027年预算预计赤字将扩大，但并未为公共媒体拨款作出安排。
The move sits uneasily with the government's efforts to curb budget deficits. The 2027 budget projects a wider deficit but makes no provision for public media funding.
记者和媒体组织认为，这些变革是加强对报道进行政治控制的尝试。
Journalists and media organisations see the changes as an attempt to increase political control over coverage.
他们表示，这些提案未经充分的公共辩论，缺乏防止政治干预的保障措施，并将使资金更加依赖政客。
They say the proposals have not been subjected to sufficient public debate, lack safeguards against political interference and would make funding more dependent on politicians.
无国界记者组织、国际新闻学会和欧洲广播联盟是批评该计划的组织之一。
Reporters Without Borders, the International Press Institute and the European Broadcasting Union are among the organisations that have criticised the plan.