Czech President Petr Pavel accepted the proposal to dismiss Ivan Bartos (Pirates) as Minister for Regional Development immediately, and to entrust Vice PM Jurecka (KDU-CSL) with the post, said Prime Minister Petr Fiala (ODS) after talks with Pavel.
Bartos has been sacked as Deputy PM for Digitisation, but this post will not be replaced, Fiala told reporters.
President Pavel confirmed this on social media, after face-to-face talks with the leaders of all five coalition parties. “As I announced, today I met with all the heads of the government parties in turn to get their views on the current situation. I have also clearly declared that I will proceed in full compliance with the Constitution,” he said.
The two other Pirate-appointed ministers will resign on Tuesday, as Pirate members approved the proposal for their party to terminate the coalition agreement with ODS, KDU-CSL. TOP 09 and the Mayors and Independents (STAN). 709 of 894 members supported it in the online vote. the Pirates said in a press release, far above the required 60%.
In November 2021, 82.1% of Pirate members supported the coalition agreement in an online vote, with a turnout of over 90%.
In opposition, said Bartos, the Pirates will focus on the priorities that were also part of the government policy statement. “The Pirates will continue to fight for the interests of citizens and promote steps that will help move our country forward so that we can live here together a little better. We will be a tough but constructive and fair opposition,” he added.
Fiala said he could imagine that Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky may remain in the cabinet as an unaffiliated expert if all the four coalition parties agree. Lipavsky has previously said he would leave both the cabinet and the Pirate Party and discuss his future with Fiala. The leaders of the four coalition parties will meet on Tuesday.
The Prime Minister also said he does not plan to seek a new minister for legislation to replace Michal Salomoun.
Fiala said he and the President agreed that the changes in the cabinet should be completed quickly, ideally by the end of next week. The departure of the Pirates will not mean the fall of the cabinet, as the remaining four parties continue to hold a majority in the lower house of parliament. They will also have the same programme, and Fiala has argued that there is therefore no reason to ask the lower house for confidence.
He would like to name the new regional development minister at the same time as the new industry and trade minister Lukas Vlcek, nominated by STAN to replace Jozef Sikela, who is to become the new Czech European Commissioner.
“According to the coalition agreement, the Ministry of Industry and Trade is occupied by a candidate of STAN and in that sense the coalition agreement is valid and nothing will change unless we agree that something will change,” Fiala said. He is to meet Vlcek later this week. “I will proceed in accordance with the coalition agreement,” he noted.
Fiala also said he could imagine STAN leading the Regional Development Ministry after the Pirates. After meeting Pavel and Fiala, STAN leader and deputy prime minister VIt Rakusan said his party is prepared to head the Regional Development Ministry if requested. Fiala said he would announce further steps to the public on Wednesday.
