A dispute involving alleged threats made by Czech politician Petr Macinka against actor Hynek Čermák has taken a surprising turn, with the actor issuing an apology for a misunderstanding stemming from a misrepresentation in initial reporting.
The situation began when Čermák spoke out against the Motorist party at a demonstration organized by the “Million Moments for Democracy” group. He later participated in a discussion with artists who invited Culture Minister Oto Klempíř (of the Motorist party) to a debate. In a subsequent interview with DVTV, Čermák claimed Macinka had sent him threatening text messages. The incident has sparked a public debate about political rhetoric and the potential for intimidation.
“Macinka wrote to me that artists like me would be crawling on their knees, begging for money and starving to death. To make someone from this brood a Minister of Culture seems like a mockery to me. I’m afraid that someone wants to make the decent part of society so angry that something dangerous could happen,” Čermák reportedly said in the DVTV interview, according to reports.
Macinka quickly denied sending any such messages, stating on Facebook, “I have not written any SMS to this deserving artist (nor do I have his number). He should study his script better next time.” Filip Turek, the honorary president of the Motorist party, added a brief comment supporting Macinka: “A better man.”
However, it has now emerged that Čermák’s apology was prompted not by any wrongdoing on his part, but by an inaccuracy in the way DVTV presented his statements. The promotional material for the interview stated: “Motorists are an uncivilized breeding ground, Macinka threatened me in an SMS that I would die of hunger. Klempíř as Minister is a mockery.”
In the full, paid portion of the interview – which remains behind a paywall for many – Čermák clarified his account. “I rarely receive an SMS that says, ‘Hynek Čermák, just you wait, you’ll notice!’ But it always says something along the lines of, ‘we, artists’ – in quotes – that is, all artists, will have our subsidies cut off and we’ll be cut off from the teat of Czech Television.’ Or, as Macinka wrote to me, ‘you artists, Čermák, will be crawling on your knees and begging for money, and we won’t deliver it to you.’” Macinka reportedly made even harsher statements on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) on February 6, 2025, questioning what Čermák would say after the elections and suggesting he commence massaging his knees in preparation for begging for grants.
Crucially, Čermák never claimed the threats came via SMS, but Macinka used the misrepresentation to attack the actor’s credibility. He even publicly apologized on his Facebook profile, a gesture some saw as excessive politeness. This apology was then immediately interpreted as an admission that he had fabricated the story.
CNN Prima News initially reported the apology as a retraction, writing, “Later on Wednesday, Čermák apologized to Macinka on his Facebook profile, saying that Macinka had not sent him any SMS.” The outlet framed the overcorrection as a “confession.” A case of editorial inaccuracy was thus presented as a lie, and a politician who had used threatening rhetoric became the victim. The news outlet reported that Čermák provided screenshots of threatening messages from both Macinka and Turek.
The misinformation continued to spread, with Deputy Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Patrik Nacher (ANO) sharing an image of Čermák with the caption: “Macinka threatened me in an SMS, I apologize, Macinka didn’t send me any SMS. So who is creating virtual reality?”
The source of the “virtual reality” is clear. The incident serves as a cautionary tale: It’s dangerous to apologize to manipulators. Petr Macinka and Patrik Nacher, not Hynek Čermák, should be apologizing – to both the actor and the public. But those in power are not capable of that, according to reports.
