The leaders of Spolu, STAN, the Pirates and ANO all cited Russia as the greatest threat to the Czech Republic in a pre-election debate on Czech Television last night. Stacilo! named the biggest threat as the European Union, and the far-right SPD said it was the current government.
The leaders of the Motorists and Prisaha (‘Oath’) said they saw a threat in any country that starts a war.
The representatives of all parties agreed that the first post-election trip of the new prime minister should be to Slovakia.
According to current Prime Minister Petr Fiala, leader of the governing Spolu coalition (ODS, TOP 09, KDU-CSL), the greatest danger to the Czech Republic is clearly Russia. STAN leader Vit Rakusan and Pirate Party leader Zdenek Hrib expressed the same view.
Karel Havlicek, the deputy leader of the opposition ANO, who attended the debate in place of leader Andrej Babis, also said Russia was a threat.
SPD leader Tomio Okamura said the current government headed by Fiala was the biggest enemy.
Communist Katerina Konecna from the Stacilo! alliance named European Commission (EC) chief Ursula von der Leyen and EU policy. Asked repeatedly whether she perceived Russia in the same way, she was unable to answer.
Representatives of the former five-coalition parties (ODS, TOP 09, KDU-CSL, STAN, Pirates) said they consider the EU and NATO countries to be allies. Fiala also added neighbouring Poland and Germany. Havlicek named Slovakia and European countries like the United Kingdom, but also the United States as allies.
Hrib said Slovakia should be the closest ally, but the policy of the current Slovak government does not currently allow it.
For Stacilo!, the Motorists and SPD, the V4 countries and possibly Slovakia are allies.
Hrib and Rakusan expressed their support for abolishing the veto over foreign policy issues in the European Council. Hrib argued that the principle of requiring unanimous agreement of the entire EU-27 means blackmail by Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. The rest of the leaders were against abolishing the veto.
