The Pirate Party’s exit from the Czech coalition government led by Prime Minister Petr Fiala has sparked a cabinet reshuffle and pushed the government further to the right.
The government crisis began when Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala (ODS, ECR) dismissed Pirate Party (Greens/EFA) leader and Minister of Regional Development, Ivan Bartoš, over his handling of a key digitalisation project aimed at streamlining the construction approval process.
Bartoš, who quit the government on Monday (30 September), condemned the decision as a “betrayal” and accused Fiala’s ODS party of bowing to oligarchs’ influence.
In addition to Bartoš, two other Pirate ministers—Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský and the Minister for Legislation—are expected to tender their resignations, as the whole party decided to leave the government. The minister’s position for legislation is to be abolished, while the Ministry of Regional Development, which handles the distribution of EU funds, will likely be handed over to another party in the coalition.
Foreign Minister Lipavský’s future remains uncertain. Although he has expressed an intention to leave the Pirate Party, the government is discussing keeping him on as an independent.
“I would prefer if Jan Lipavský remained a non-partisan expert,” Czech Labour and Social Affairs Minister Marian Jurečka (KDU-ČSL, EPP) said.
Fiala confirmed that “he can imagine” that Lipavský will remain a non-party member of the government if all four parties in the governing coalition accept him.
However, Lipavský has not yet commented on whether he would remain in the government under these conditions.
Other changes are expected at the trade and industry ministry, as its current head – Jozef Síkela (STAN, EPP) – is leaving Prague to join the European Commission as commissioner for International Partnership.
“I would like to have a clear idea on the next course of action by Wednesday,” Fiala commented on Monday (30 September) after he met with Czech President Petr Pavel. By the end of the next week, Fiala would like a new cabinet completed.
The government reshuffle comes after a disappointing result in the recent regional and Senate elections. While the opposition ANO party led by Andrej Babiš (Patriots) achieved significant gains, the ruling centre-right coalition retained control of the Senate but lost several regional governors. The Pirates’ losses have further weakened their position in national politics, prompting questions about their future influence.
The coalition government, formed in 2021, had originally brought together a diverse group of parties, including the conservative Spolu (Together) bloc of ODS (ECR), KDU-ČSL, and TOP 09 (both EPP), as well as the centrist STAN (EPP) and the liberal Pirates (Greens/EFA).
With the Pirates’ departure, the remaining coalition partners will likely pivot toward a more right-leaning agenda as Fiala seeks to solidify his government’s position ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled for next year.
(Aneta Zachová | Euractiv.cz)
Source: euractiv.com
