Czech Politics: Fiala government

[DavidB.]

We have threads for the parliamentary election that took place in October and for the recent presidential election, but up to now we did not have a general discussion thread for this country. I think Czech politics are going to get quite interesting, so I decided to create one.

ANO leader Babis still needs to form a coalition that has the support of 101 out of 200 MPs, which President Zeman views as a prerequisite for forming a government. Tomio Okamura, leader of the far-right SPD, was a prominent guest at Zeman's celebration party yesterday, and while Babis has sought to avoid including Okamura's party in his coalition in order to remain credible within the EU, it may be that Zeman will insist on the inclusion of the SPD in the government.

[DavidB.]

The Czech presidential polls, some we now see in retrospect (a la Brexit, Trump victory, and a number of Senators, Governors and Congressmen in the US), were very wrong, some tinged with must-get-Zeman-out-at-all-costs bias, and rather 'see-through' going about it at that.

I don't think they were wrong. It was always going to be a close race; in the last stage of the campaign, Zeman successfully managed to paint Drahos as a liberal/someone whose agenda was not in the Czech interest/someone who remained silent about his real agenda (e.g. the dumb comment about migrant quotas being "manageable"), which swung public opinion by a few points and managed to get his base out to vote, enough for him to win.

[DavidB.]

CSSD looking westward and singing: "Anything you can do, I can do better." Utter lunacy and a recipe for further destruction. ODS made a fine recovery in the opposition after a total collapse, and I do not see why CSSD, of all parties, should want to lend a helping hand to ANO after everything that happened last year. Let them try it with the Commies and the SPD.

[DavidB.]

What coalition do any of you suspect Babis will be successful in coddling together?

I see him adding the ODS, the SPD, maybe KDU.

Three paths to a majority that don't seem to be completely impossible (but they may well turn out to be):
- ODS
- CSSD + KSCM
- SPD + KSCM

[DavidB.]

Have KDU ruled out support? Those sort of parties normally provide useful coalition fodder.

True, continuation of the ANO+CSSD+KDU/CSL coalition would also an option; however, I still refuse to believe CSSD will actually enter a coalition with ANO again. In an option with ODS, KDU-CSL is not necessary. I really doubt whether KDU-CSL would want to enter a coalition with either the SPD or the Communists.

[DavidB.]

Really disappointing. ANO are so useless.

[DavidB.]

Really disappointing. ANO are so useless.

For refusing to deal with a party wanting to gas yourself?

You can say a lot about Okamura, but he isn't an anti-Semite.

Okamura is so antisemitic that he made a video in which he said Czechia should recognize Jerusalem as the Israeli capital. In other words, he's fine.

[DavidB.]

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

[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.

[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.

[DavidB.]

This week, Czech parliament voted against the introduction of same-sex marriage but in favor of expanding rights for same-sex couples within civil unions, granting them almost the exact same rights as married couples except for adoption rights.

On same-sex marriage, a majority of ANO and a plurality of ODS MPs abstained. Most KDU-CSL and SPD MPs voted against. Most Pirate, STAN and TOP 09 MPs voted in favor. But with only 66 votes in favor out of 200 total MPs and abstention practically being a vote against, a majority for same-sex marriage was not reached.

Interesting how Greek society is much more religious and opposition to same-sex marriage in society is more widespread but it was adopted there this month, whereas Czechia is quite irreligious and same-sex marriage enjoys more support in society, but evidently not in parliament. A large part of the explanation is probably the fact that Babis and Fiala aren't interested in the type of EU job Mitsotakis aims for...