Minister for European Affairs Martin Dvorak (STAN) did not have a proxy for entry into the European Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM II) and adoption of the euro. Prime Minister Peter Fiala (ODS) announced this after a meeting of coalition leaders on Tuesday evening. Economist Petr Zahradník, appointed by Dvořák to the post of plenipotentiary on Monday, will continue to act as an adviser to the minister. Even in the afternoon before coalition reconciliation proceedings, Dvořák said he had no intention of revoking his plenipotentiary position on the euro.
The coalition agreed on Tuesday that the government will seek the opinion of the government's National Economic Council on an assessment of the issue of the possibility of the Czech Republic joining ERM II in October. NERV Coordinator David Havlíček will be tasked.
Fiala said the government's legislative committee will also evaluate legislative issues related to the Czech Republic's mechanism or entry into the eurozone by October. The prime minister said the cabinet will decide on the next course of action based on these analyzes and this year's economic results.
On Tuesday, Fiala convened the five-brokered's first conciliation measures in response to Dvorak's assignment of full powers to the euro on Monday. Other coalition parties criticized the minister for this, as the government did not agree to fill the post of national coordinator for the introduction of the euro. Last until 2017 was Aldrich Tetec.
Fiala: All members of the cabinet have faith in me
The meeting of the coalition leaders started at approximately 4.45pm, but politicians had to go to the parliament chamber several times to vote. Dvořák also arrived at the meeting before 8:00 PM, which ended at about 9:30 PM.
According to Fiala, after Tuesday's meeting, the coalition parties must realize that there is no need to be surprised and act in such a way that the trust between them is not weakened. “We also discussed broader and communication related issues within the government. We talked a lot about not burdening the public with our disputes and focusing on what is important,” the Prime Minister said.
He also said that all cabinet members continue to have faith in him. “Otherwise, I will not be able to coordinate the work of the government and I will have to propose to the president to replace the absent members,” he noted.
First Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet and Chairman of STAN Vít Rakušan said that the Federation has materially agreed to the next step. He appreciated that he had set a deadline for the analysis and a binding deadline for the government to take a decision on the issue. “The debate was very open, honest and led to a definite attempt to reach an agreement. And that happened,” explained Markéta Pekarová Adamová, speaker of the chamber and TOP 09.
“It is better not to surprise each other in politics and in life. We made an alliance, we made an agreement, we will continue. I am happy about that, because stability is the biggest bonus we can give to the Czech Republic,” said Jan Bartosek, First Vice-President of the KDU-ČSL.
Foreign Minister John Lipowski (Pirates) indicated that the alliance led to discussion and interaction. According to him, the structure of the settlement was built by Jakub Michalak, the leader of the pirates' delegation. “I can imagine that a similar result could be achieved by other means than at ten o'clock in the evening,” he added.
For example, Michálek announced in the afternoon that he also wanted to convey the fact that the ODS owes the pirates the appointment of a representative to control the management of the State Transport Infrastructure Fund. According to him, the People's Party voted for the biogas amendment in violation of the coalition agreement.
According to Fiala, the expert coalition team will return to this fix. “In most cases we will try to restore it to the original state, but there is no suggestion that this provision is being used in any way,” he said. Government politicians also spoke about the aforementioned staff appointment. According to the Prime Minister, everyone agreed that alliance agreements should be respected.
Studio ČT24: Political scientist Daniel Grupa comments on the government's dispute over the euro representative (source: ČT24)
Grupa: The prime minister faces difficulties in his party, where there is a strong anti-European faction
“I believe it's a storm in a glass of water and I hope it will pass,” commented Daniel Krupa, a political scientist at the Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem, on the coalition dispute ahead of the results of the euro negotiations. Representative. He does not expect the current controversy to destabilize the government.
The coalition's negative reaction was predictable, but not strong enough to call for a compromise process, Grupa believes. “I believe that the prime minister has difficulties especially in his own party, where there is a relatively strong anti-European faction, the legacy of Claus' policy still lingers. He will certainly hate it if critics use the fact that he did not defend himself against the attitude of Martin Dvořák against him,” assessed the political scientist.
According to Grupa, the self-proclaimed pro-European government should prepare the Czech Republic for entry into the eurozone. “To a kind of pre-emptive room that does not immediately accept the euro,” he clarified. According to him, Minister Dvorak also sees this. This is a move that does not conflict with the alliance agreement, he added.
Events: Coalition negotiation process (source: ČT24)
I see in it the tension before the European elections, says Klimes
“I feel that the five governing parties are trying to assert some of their identity. What the Minister for European Affairs did, (…) wanted to show that the other parties also have an opinion about the euro,” said journalist and executive director of the Fund for the Free Press David Klimez, assessing the tension in the coalition before the results. Negotiations in the interview ČT24.
Like Grupa, he said it was “a storm in a glass of water.” But he regrets that Zahradník, a highly accomplished economist, has become embroiled in controversy. “If he had known what he would be drawn to politically, he might not have gone to that level,” he thinks.
According to Klimez, Zahradnik's pro-euro adoption is a problem for some members of the ODS. “I see some tension in this before the upcoming European elections – where else to show that STAN and Pirates are more pro-European parties, while ODS is more skeptical and interested in maintaining the Czech crown,” he judges.
ČT24 interview: journalist and NFNŽ director David Klimes (source: ČT24)
