Czech PM: EU right converges to prevent left-wing majority

The European People’s Party (EPP) and the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) groups are gradually converging to prevent the emergence of a left-wing majority in the European Parliament after the 2024 elections, said Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala (ODS, ECR).

Fiala’s Civic Democratic Party (ODS) is currently part of the three-party coalition called “Together” – a coalition that beat the former Czech populistic government in 2021. While ODS, the strongest party of the alliance, is affiliated with the ECR, the other two coalition parties – Christian Democrats and TOP 09 – are members of the EPP.

The Czech parties from the “Together” coalition are now discussing whether they can form a joint candidate list for the European elections. According to Fiala, such an option is still “on the table” despite the different affiliations at the European level.

“It is true that TOP 09 and KDU-ČSL are in the EPP, while we (ODS) have the ECR group. They are two different groups, but they are gradually converging because we want to avoid the socialist-left majority forming in the European Parliament,” Fiala said during a TV debate broadcasted by CNN Prima News.

According to Fiala, the European elections in June 2024 are crucial to changing the European Parliament’s current composition.

“The European Parliament often comes out with very radical positions that do not correspond to what we agree on in the European Council, for example. I think it will be more beneficial if a different majority emerges there, and we will do everything we can to contribute to that,” Fiala said.

As EURACTIV reported, Fiala admitted “opinion closeness” with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (ECR), who is also eyeing a partnership with EPP and had close ties with EPP leader Manfred Weber.

Weber, for his part, is also quite close to Fiala, and it is no secret that Weber would probably like to see Fiala’s Civic Democratic Party (ODS) in the EPP after the 2024 European elections. However, Weber said that the cooperation of EPP and ECR-affiliated parties in the Czech Republic could be a role model for collaboration at the EU level.

(Aneta Zachová | EURACTIV.cz)