VW is bringing back physical buttons in their newer models, e.g. ID.3 Neo and Polo. Skoda never did away with them.

It's also part of the safety rating of Euro NCAP, and AFAIK China mandated physical buttons for important functions as well.

I have a 2021 Skoda Octavia and boy do I have to touch the screen a lot.

Yes, you can open the AC screen by tapping the AC button but then you still need use the touch screen for any actual AC adjustments.

It’s a joke that that’s legal. Looking at my phone is illegal, yet it’s many times faster.

The wheel in an Enyaq before the facelift is the same haptic one-button shitshow. They have some buttons that act like shortcuts below the infotainment. But it the screen is still essentialistisk for managing crucial functions.