Czech activist Jan Cemper wants “real democracy” — and he wants it now. The main objective of his group, which draws its inspiration from foreign protest movements such as the Indignados and Occupy Wall Street, is to organize tent protests in the capital and other cities starting from April 28.  Under the name Occupy Prague they intend to build a tent village to serve as a venue for debate over alternatives to the current political-economic system.

Upon first glance, the Czech cabinet’s decision to back a reduction in EU agricultural subsidies as of 2014 appears logical. Spending cuts are being made in all areas, yet spending on agriculture still swallows almost a half of the union’s total budget. It would appear that cutting subsidies would force farmers to be more productive, and globally competitive, especially if bureaucratic and administrative burdens are reduced.

With billions of crowns in EU funding frozen, the Czech government is finally taking action. Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek (TOP 09) is planning to gather all the auditors responsible for controlling EU grant expenditure from various regions and regional bodies into a single unit within his ministry. According to a number of sources, however, the Finance Ministry holds its fair share of responsibility for misuse of EU funds and flawed surveillance.

Prime Minister Petr Nečas (Civic Democrats, ODS) has downplayed his government’s decision not to sign the EU fiscal discipline treaty. Speaking at the “Economic Interests of the Czech Republic in the EU” conference on Monday, the center-right politician also said he was working towards closer EU integration in the form of finalization of the single market — which he lamented was not completed decades ago.