Czech Politics: Fiala government

[DavidB.]

14 June, wow. It has taken them longer than the Netherlands.

[Diouf]

Result of the CSSD vote will be announced on Friday. Media reports about a relatively narrow Yes.

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http://www.radio.cz/en/section/news/social-democrat-referendum-likely-to-endorse-coalition-with-ano

[Diouf]

Government participation approved by CSSD membership. Babis expect vote of confidence on July 11th.

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https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-06-15/billionaire-closer-to-forming-majority-backed-czech-government?utm_content=business&utm_campaign=socialflow-organic&cmpid=socialflow-twitter-business&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

[Diouf]

Tension over proposed CSSD Foreign Minister

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http://www.radio.cz/en/section/curraffrs/czech-president-communist-party-leader-openly-reject-foreign-minister-nomination

[Diouf]

Czech Republic on track to be first post-communist nation with gay marriage

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http://www.france24.com/en/20180622-czech-republic-track-be-first-post-communist-nation-with-gay-marriage

[Diouf]

Communists agree to back new government, confidence vote on July 11

The Communists accept to back the ANO - CSSD government, which will face its confidence vote on July 11. A TNS Kantar polls shows that 7% of voters see the government as a good option, 59% as an acceptable option, while 28% see it as a poor option. So not a lot of enthuasiasm, but a broad sense of acceptance. Among the six biggest parties, where there are reliable numbers, a majority of ODS and Pirates voters deem the government a poor option, while SPD voters are more accepting. Most polls also suggest that ODS and Pirates have currently materialized as the two "major" opposition parties at 12-13 %, which is around 3% higher than SPD, KSCM and CSSD. KDU-CSL, TOP09 and STAN still dancing around the threshold and ANO fairly stable at 30%.

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https://www.reuters.com/article/us-czech-government/czech-communist-party-agrees-to-back-minority-government-idUSKBN1JQ0DA

[Diouf]

A looong parliamentary debate is (hopefully) soon coming to an end, and the confidence vote will take place.

How do people like Pavel Bělobrádek's new look with the beard?

[Diouf]

Babis' government won the confidence late last night with 105 votes for, 91 against. 4 MPs were absent. Two for non-political reasons (1 ANO and 1 STAN). Former acting CSSD leader Milan Chovanec abstained due to his opposition to the government deal, and one Communist MP Zdeněk Ondráček abstained due to bitterness over ANO joining with the opposition to remove him as chairman of the lower house committee that oversees the agency that investigates police malpractice due to his pre-1989 role as an infamous riot police officer.

[TheSaint250]

I read something suggesting the KČSM has connections to the Kremlin. Is there any credibility to this?

[PSOL]

I read something suggesting the KČSM has connections to the Kremlin. Is there any credibility to this?

Most EE Communists are former officials in the USSR, they have connections with the main base in Russia now inherited by Putin.

[Diouf]

I also notice that TOP09 seems hell-bent on selfdestruction. As a reward for the terrible general election result, the corrupt and most loathed politician in Czechia, Miroslav Kalousek, continued as group chairman (and therefore main speaker in parliament). They did elect the former ODS Justice Minister, Jiří Pospíšil, as new leader, but since he is currently a MEP, he can of course not participate in parliamentary debates. I heard Marketa Adamova (right in the picture) a few times while in Prague, and she seems by far the most competent and charismatic in that party (Schwarzenberg perhaps close in his few awake hours). It is unbelievable that she is not (at least) group chairman #longlivethepatriarchy

[Diouf]

There is a 7 minute video here, if you scroll slightly down, which gives a neat summary of the marathon debate and the confidence vote.

https://ct24.ceskatelevize.cz/domaci/2534680-po-celodennim-maratonu-ma-babisova-druha-vlada-duveru

[Diouf]

Two of the governing majority parties are getting through some of their important policies in these days, and the gay marriage bill.

CSSD gets sick leave compensation expanded to cover the first three days of sickness

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KSCM gets taxes on church restitutions

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Bill legalising gay marriage to be debated this week

I looked at the two proposals' signatures.
The one in favour of gay marriage is backed by 46 MPs (21 ANO, 17 Pirates, 4 CSSD, 2 TOP09, 1 STAN, 1 KCSM)
The one opposed to gay marriage is backed by 37 MPs (12 ANO, 10 KDU-CSL, 7 ODS, 4 CSSD, 3 TOP09, 1 STAN).

Pirates (22 MPs) seem to be the only party united in favour of gay marriage, while KDU-CDL (10) and SPD (22) seem united against it. No SPD signatures on any of the proposals, but Okamura made it clear in his statement that his party was opposed to the idea.
ANO is split, but the government/Babis is officially in favour and more have signed the petition in favour than against, so it seems likely that a majority of their 78 MPs will back the idea. EU Commissioner for Justice Jourova will probably also encourage her party colleagues to vote yes.
ODS only have signatures against (including Klaus Jr) and will likely be mostly opposed, although I haven't seen any comment from party leader Petr Fiala yet. So I think a few from the moderate wing could be supportive.
KCSM is a bit hard to figure out. Their voter base is quite socially conservative, but they were instrumental in voting through civil partnerships back in 2006. Only one MP on the proposals, and he is favour.
CSSD split, but both Hamacek and Zaoralek in favour. Chovanec against, but he is about to leave parliament. Would expect a majority of their 15 MPs to be in favour.
TOP09 is probably split 3-3 among six of its MPs, and then the question is what the 7th MP, Karel Schwarzenberg does and whether he is awake that day.
STAN leader Gazdik opposed, but one MP on the other side of the proposal. Would guess more of the 6 MPs to be opposed than in favour.

So it seems likely to be a tight result. Zeman will likely veto, so it would need to be overriden in parliament to be accepted. This needs absolute majority, not relative majority, so abstentions will not be enough at that point. Slightly educated guess on 101 MP scenario: ANO 50, ODS 4, Pirates 22, KSCM 9, CSSD 10, TOP09 4, STAN 2.

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http://praguemonitor.com/2019/01/23/chamber-overrides-senate-veto-sick-leave
https://www.radio.cz/en/section/curraffrs/lower-house-passes-amendment-taxing-church-restitutions
https://www.radio.cz/en/section/curraffrs/bill-legalising-gay-marriage-to-be-debated-this-week
https://www.idnes.cz/zpravy/domaci/manzelstvi-homosexualove-vlada-registrovane-partnerstvi.A180622_105327_domaci_kop
http://www.psp.cz/sqw/historie.sqw?o=8&t=201&sp=1
http://www.psp.cz/sqw/historie.sqw?o=8&t=211&sp=1

[Diouf]

Poll by Kantar for Ceske Televize. Manifests the picture of Pirates and ODS as the two main opposition forces. SPD is down the most since the election, perhaps because Okamura has had some difficulties in finding the right leg to stand on. He hoped/expected to be a part of the governing majority, but ended out in the cold. However, his party is not really that oppositional to Babis' government. Several parties very close to or on the 5% threshold.

[Ex-Assemblyman Steelers]

I'm very interested to see the future of the KSCM after they support the government.

[DavidB.]

A vote to strip SPD MP Miloslav Rozner of his immunity in order to prosecute him for Holocaust denial has failed by 42-88. Rozner had used the term 'non-existent pseudo concentration camp' to cast doubt on the existence of a concentration camp for Roma in Lety.

The only parties in which a majority of MPs voted for prosecuting Rozner were the Pirates, TOP 09 and the CSSD. KDU-CSL was split 3/3, STAN 2/6, and the other parties (including KSCM) voted unanimously or almost unanimously against the proposal.

[Diouf]

Vaclav Klaus Jr. kicked out of ODS

This weekend, ODS decided to expel Vaclav Klaus Jr. from the party. According to the party, the decision was made because he "embarrassed the party, and over a long period, had not respected the party's principles, values and political agenda". They also called out his attacks on party colleagues in parliament, support of opposing candidates in the recent Senate elections and other instances of his bad behaviour. The final straw came last Tuesday when Klaus Jr likened the transposition of European Union directives, most recently the GDPR, to the deportation of Jews imposed by the Nazis during the war.
Papa Klaus has attacked the decision, claiming ODS "are just fawning over *truth & love’ and political correctness". According to Klaus Sr., sooner or later a brand new truly right-wing party has to emerge, for many years people were counting on the ODS, but that’s not an option anymore. So it seems like he is not endorsing SPD as the replacement. Klaus Sr. left the party in 2008, and has supported other parties and candidates in some elections. ODS leader Petr Fiala said that "ODS was established as a conservative-liberal party with a clear pro-Western direction", and that it was the Klaus family that had abandoned those ideals.

http://praguemonitor.com/2019/03/18/ods-expels-klaus-jr-party
https://www.radio.cz/en/section/news/civic-democrats-call-on-mp-vaclav-klaus-jr-to-leave-caucus
https://rmx.news/czech-republic/klaus-civic-democrats-abandoned-their-ideals

[Diouf]

After being on the order paper without being discussed several times, the proposals for and against same sex marriage now seem to have been officially scheduled for first reading on Tuesday 26 March.

"The main impetus [for the proposed legislation] is the great legal uncertainty for children who grow up in same-sex couples,” said Radka Maxova of ANO, the centrist party that leads the country’s governing minority coalition. She proposed the bill, noting a parallel with the struggle for women’s rights.

Some 60 percent or more of the population approves of the measure, according to recent polls, and the government gave the bill its official blessing last June. However, it faces opposition from parties on the right, and they’ve been delaying its passage with filibusters and through backroom horse-trading.

“We want to protect matrimony,” said Marek Vyborny, a member of parliament for the Christian and Democratic Union-Czechoslovak People’s Party, who is sponsoring a bill—which seeks to amend the constitution and would thus need a two-thirds majority in Parliament to pass—that would define marriage in heterosexual terms. “We want to prevent the dilution of it by liberal forces,” he added.

The proposal for is n 37 in the order list, proposal no 201. Put forward by ANO's Radka Maxova
 http://public.psp.cz/en/sqw/historie.sqw?o=8&t=201

The proposal against is no 38 in the order list, proposal no 211. Put forward by KDU-CSL's Marek Vyborny. http://www.psp.cz/en/sqw/historie.sqw?o=8&t=211

https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/03/21/can-the-czech-republic-tear-down-europes-rainbow-curtain/
http://www.psp.cz/en/sqw/ischuze.sqw?o=8&s=27#bd38

[Diouf]

Marek Výborný elected new KDU-CSL leader



MP Marek Výborný was chosen as new KDU-CSL leader at their party congress after Pavel Bělobrádek stepped down after eight years in charge of the party. Výborný beat former Minister of Agriculture Marian Jurečka 176-118 in the last round of voting. Marek's dad, Miloslav Výborný, was a prominent KDU-CSL MP and Minister of Defence in the 90s. Marek Výborný is the main spokesperson on the proposal to enshrine marriage in the Constitution as a man-woman relationsship.

[PSOL]

A vote to strip SPD MP Miloslav Rozner of his immunity in order to prosecute him for Holocaust denial has failed by 42-88. Rozner had used the term 'non-existent pseudo concentration camp' to cast doubt on the existence of a concentration camp for Roma in Lety.

The only parties in which a majority of MPs voted for prosecuting Rozner were the Pirates, TOP 09 and the CSSD. KDU-CSL was split 3/3, STAN 2/6, and the other parties (including KSCM) voted unanimously or almost unanimously against the proposal.

Why would the KSCM vote against this measure?

[DavidB.]

A vote to strip SPD MP Miloslav Rozner of his immunity in order to prosecute him for Holocaust denial has failed by 42-88. Rozner had used the term 'non-existent pseudo concentration camp' to cast doubt on the existence of a concentration camp for Roma in Lety.

The only parties in which a majority of MPs voted for prosecuting Rozner were the Pirates, TOP 09 and the CSSD. KDU-CSL was split 3/3, STAN 2/6, and the other parties (including KSCM) voted unanimously or almost unanimously against the proposal.

Why would the KSCM vote against this measure?

Because the KSCM aren't woke Western-style commies but unreformed and all over the age of 60 too. They probably don't like Roma.

[bigic]

But even the Eastern European commies claim that they are "consistent opponents of fascism"?

[Diouf]

Perhaps also some opposition to the precedent it sets. I'm sure some KSCM voters might have some alternative versions of the crimes committed under communist rule.

[Diouf]

CTK report of debate surrounding same-sex marriage

The Czech Chamber of Deputies did not finish the initial round of debating the legislation to enact homosexuals' marriages or to upgrade the marriage of man and woman in the second try today. The lower house will return to the bills, it started debating last November, at its April session at the earliest.

By an amendment to the Civil Code, the marriage for homosexuals was proposed by 46 deputies from six deputy groups, specifically for Prime Minister Andrej Babis's ANO, the Pirates, the Communists (KSCM), the Social Democrats (CSSD), TOP 09 and the Mayors and Independents (STAN).

The proposal to enact constitutional protection of traditional marriage was signed by 37 deputies for the Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL), ANO, the Civic Democratic Party (ODS), the CSSD, TOP 09 and STAN.

"Even if you call a dog's tail a leg, the dog will be still four-legged," Vaclav Klaus Junior said in connection with the efforts to replace father and mother with the terms "parent number one and parent number two."

Patrik Nacher (ANO) warned of the overuse of political correctness. Nacher said that given the current trends, the marriages of homosexuals could be followed up by marital unions of one person with itself (sologamy) or several persons.

Monika Jarosova (Freedom and Direct Democracy, SPD) warned of the marriage of bisexuals, zoophiles or paedophiles. The argument was dismissed by Karla Slechtova (ANO) who called it an offense of gays and lesbians, whose community she claimed.

Jana Pastuchova (ANO) said registered partners were disadvantaged compared with marital couples in inheritance affairs and were not entitled to the widowers' and widows' pensions.

http://public.psp.cz/en/sqw/cms.sqw?z=12613

[PSOL]

Czech economic forecasts down as deficit grows

The government is seeking savings worth 25 billion crowns ($1.10 billion), or half a percentage point of economic output, to keep its 2020 budget from breaching targets and, for the first time, forecasts a run of fiscal surpluses to end.

To critics, including economists from the state’s own budget council, the cost-cutting foreshadows uncomfortable budget choices ahead to offset slowing growth.

With a humming economy and record-low unemployment, Prime Minister Andrej Babis’s government had expected growth would pay for pension hikes higher than automatic adjusters, double-digit pay raises for a growing state workforce, and even free train tickets for seniors and students.

Instead, the Finance Ministry cut its 2019 gross domestic product growth forecast to 2.4 percent, from 3.1 percent, although that may still be optimistic as main trade partner Germany slices its own outlook.