Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky will remain as a member of the government after the Pirates leave the cabinet, Prime Minister Petr Fiala (ODS) announced after a meeting with him today.
Fiala said that he considered continuity in the leadership of the Foreign Ministry important.
The heads of the other three remaining coalition parties, the Mayors and Independents (STAN), Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL) and TOP 09, supported Lipavsky remaining a minister as an unaffiliated expert, Fiala said. He also informed President Petr Pavel about the proposal, he said, and the president also favours continuity in the role.
Fiala and Lipavsky have close views on the basic issues of foreign policy and international relations, and Czech foreign policy has a clear shape, a clear direction and a clear definition of values, according to Fiala.
Lipavsky confirmed that he met the prime minister today to hand over his resignation, as he had previously announced. However, he added that he appreciates the opportunity to continue, and the support of the heads of all parties is important to him.
Earlier, Lipavsky wrote on the Pirate Party’s online forum that he had requested to end his membership of the party, and intended to submit his resignation to Fiala today. However, there was already heavy speculation that Lipavsky would remain in post as an unaffiliated cabinet minister, or on behalf of one of the other coalition parties, which is now confirmed.
Lipavsky joined the Pirate Party nine years ago, in 2015.
He said earlier that he disagreed with the party’s move to the opposition, and had some other differences of opinion with the party.
“I also disagree with many of the things that were said at the Pirate press conference in the Chamber of Deputies last week. That is why I am taking this step,” he added.
Outgoing Pirate Party leader Ivan Bartos told reporters that he respected both Lipavsky’s decision and his work until now. “I am glad that he had the opportunity to grow professionally and develop his potential as a Pirate MP and subsequently as a Pirate minister,” he said.
Bartos said it was Lipavsky’s decision whether he would remain in the government for the final year until the parliamentary elections.
Pirate lower house deputy speaker Olga Richterova told journalists that Lipavsky had grown up in the opposition in the previous term. The Pirates had given the country a great foreign minister, she said. She considered his departure from the party to be a personal matter. “He has long signalled his dissatisfaction with the party. Personally, I have mixed feelings about the decision, but it is his path and his choice,” Richterova said.
After PM Fiala announced last week that he would sack Bartos from the cabinet due to the problems with the digitisation of construction procedures, lower house deputy speaker Olga Richterova (Pirates) said he was a weak prime minister who had succumbed to party godfathers. Pirate parliamentary group head Jakub Michalek said a faction of ODS politicians had forced Fiala to take the step, also threatening to replace him as ODS leader.
“I thank the Pirates for all the opportunities I have gained thanks to them. Thank you also for the many personal friendships and unforgettable experiences. I have always valued open intra-party discussion, which I have enjoyed entering into and projecting my ideas for the functioning of a centrist and liberal party, including seeking fundamental reform of the inner workings,” Lipavsky said on the Pirate forum.
On Monday, President Petr Pavel accepted Fiala’s proposal to dismiss Bartos as Deputy Prime Minister for Digitisation and Regional Development Minister and to appoint Deputy PM Marian Jurecka (KDU-CSL) as temporary head of this ministry.
Minister for Legislation Michal Salomoun (for Pirates) is also expected to resign today. His post will not be filled, as the work is to be absorbed by the Justice Ministry, led by Pavel Blazek (ODS).
