South Moravian Governor Jan Grolich was comfortably elected as the new leader of the Christian Democratic Party (KDU-CSL) at the party’s national congress on Friday, with the support of 233 out of 266 delegates present.
Grolich was the only candidate running for the post, and replaces Marek Vyborny, who led the party for two years. Grolich was nominated for the leadership by KDU-CSL branches from all 14 regions.
Grolich said on Friday that he wants the party to connect more closely with the people. He considers the aging population, the country’s modernisation, and its place in Europe to be the main challenges.
Immediately after his election, Grolich stated that he does not take the leadership of Christian Democrats for granted, but rather as a major responsibility. He thanked his party colleagues for their cooperation. “I really appreciate it. It’s going to be quite a ride. The main message is that this is just the beginning. Becoming party chairman isn’t the end of the journey; this is just the beginning of the new Christian Democrat party,” said Grolich.
At a later press conference, he thanked delegates for their courage to bring about change. He reiterated the need to put an end to moralizing, pointless meetings, the party’s low ambitions, and the label as a “weather vane”. He refers to his team and the party as the “new Christian Democrats Party”, a theme also reflected in the party’s new visual identity.
Grolich plans to run for the upper house of parliament this autumn. “If I become a senator, I expect to continue as regional governor,” he said, adding that the agendas of these roles overlap, and holding both positions simultaneously would be manageable. He said the fact that he is not a member of the Chamber of Deputies is an advantage, as he does not have to spend most of his time there, adding that “the work of a senator is less demanding; it’s easier to plan.”
He declined to state a target for the party’s future support. Currently, public opinion polls show KDU-CSL with roughly 3% of the vote. To enter the Chamber of Deputies, a party running independently must secure at least 5%.
Grolich told reporters at the conclusion of the first day of the party congress on Friday that there may be a change in the leadership of the KDU-CSL parliamentary group, and that former party leader Marian Jurecka could take up the post. Grolich said he would welcome Jurecka’s leadership of the party’s MPs. The group is currently led by Tom Philipp.
On social media, representatives of other opposition parties congratulated the new leader. “The goal is clear: to keep our country firmly anchored in the West, among nations that are built on freedom, responsibility, and respect for rules that apply to everyone without exception,” said ODS leader Martin Kupka.
Vit Rakusan, leader of the Mayors and Independents (STAN), wrote that only through cooperation can Prime Minister Andrej Babis (ANO) be defeated and the erosion of institutions and values prevented. Matej Ondrej Havel, leader of TOP 09, called for mutual cooperation.
