Tens of thousands of protesters in Prague have been demanding the resignation of Czechia's prime minister, Andrej Babis.

What's been happening in the Czechia in recent weeks?

Public anger has been building this month against the country's prime minister, Andrej Babis, over corruption allegations. Several weeks ago, a state prosecutor said an investigation into Babis over fraud and misuse of EU funds had been incorrectly halted. Then, this week, the state said the investigation has been officially reopened. That news drove about 50,000 Czechs, according to a police estimate, into the streets demanding Babis step down. The protest group Million Moments for Democracy said anywhere between 60,000 and 80,000 proteters took part.

What are the allegations against Babis?

Babis became a multi-billionaire running a conglomerate called Agrofert. He has been accused of abusing millions of dollars in EU subsidies for business gain before taking office as prime minister.

One case involves the development of a luxury spa outside Prague called the Stork's Nest. Another focuses on his time as finance minister, when he was in charge of distributing EU subsidies. He put Agrofert in to trust in 2017 to conform with conflict of interest laws when he became prime minister. However, much of the public still believes he is still involved with his business interests, either directly or through family members.

"We can't have someone with this conflict of interest at the head of the government, managing the entire society, with this incredible power and arrogance, that's not possible," said Zuzana Pelantova, a Prague farmer at Tuesday's mass rally.

What does he say?

Babis said the investigation is politically motivated and all the accusations are lies. He said under Czech law, he has done nothing wrong. But the pressure for his resignation is mounting.

Czechs have planned to again fill the streets on 17 December, calling for him to step down. Hundreds of thousands protested this summer, so it wouldn't be unexpected at all if next week's rally is much bigger.

Babis's minority coalition, led by ANO, the anti-establishment party he founded, had at times appeared on the verge of collapse this year. The government has been more stable in recent weeks, a sign the prime minister would survive the year despite the corruption allegations and a deeply polarized political environment. 

But the renewed investigation signals a much more uncertain December for Babis than he had anticipated.

[This article was corrected on 12/12/2019 to amend comments attributed to the state prosecutor in the second paragraph]