Archive: Domestic affairs | Politics Politics
Anti-corruption watchdog says government has disappointed over action to tackle graft
Measures to tackle corruption were one of the centerpieces of the coalition
agreement that paved the way for the current government. But with an
anti-corruption strategy now on the government table and creating rifts
between the political partners, what have been the results so far? We asked
the director of the Czech branch of corruption watchdog Transparency
International, David Ondráčka, how he evaluated the government’s
performance so far. More
President tells Czechs to grit their teeth and support pro-reform government
In his traditional New Year’s address to the nation President Václav
Klaus gave his full backing to the country’s pro-reform government
telling Czechs they had been living beyond their means for years and it was
time to pay their dues. Mr. Klaus said it was essential that everyone pull
their weight and indicated he had little patience with those who wanted out
or grumbled. More
Czech Republic braces for mass departures of doctors
Disgruntled Czech hospital doctors on Monday began handing in their
resignations in an attempt to force the government to increase their
salaries. Some 3,800 of the country’s 16,000 physicians are expected to
hand in notices by the end of the week, which is when the hospitals will
get a clearer picture of what will happen in March, when the resignations
take effect. But Heath Minister Leoš Heger has come up with one idea for
the hospitals that might face crisis due to understaffing. More
Centre-right coalition government weathers first serious crisis
The centre-right coalition government weathered its first serious crisis on
Tuesday surviving a no-confidence motion tabled by the opposition in the
wake of a massive corruption scandal at the Environment Ministry. Although
the ruling parties opposed the no-confidence motion as one man, the scandal
has further undermined coalition unity and tarnished the image of a
government that has upheld a strict anti-corruption stance. More
Tension within ruling coalition will mount, says commentator Jiří Pehe
The key to the survival of the Czech coalition government was a deal
between the coalition parties brokered by President Václav Klaus at Prague
Castle. No details of the last-minute accord have been released but it
apparently involves the demise of the police president, Oldřich Martinů,
which has already materialized, as well as the reinstatement of
whistleblower, Libor Michálek, to the State Environment Fund, where the
corruption scandal broke out. Whatever the details, the agreement was
enough for the MPs of the junior coalition party, Public Affairs, to
support the government in Tuesday’s vote of no confidence. But
commentator Jiří Pehe believes the issues that have come to light in the
recent cabinet crisis have not been settled, and will emerge again. More
Czech coalition government faces vote of no confidence
The centre-right Czech government is going through its first major crisis
since it took office in July. The coalition cabinet is facing a vote of no
confidence over a corruption scandal at the Environment Ministry. Ahead of
the vote, one of the coalition parties, Public Affairs, refused to pledge
support for the cabinet, and walked out of Monday’s talks with its
partners in the power-sharing deal. In a last-minute attempt to ensure
backing for the government in the lower house, President Václav Klaus
weighed in and met with coalition leaders. More
Czech politicians are better at denying corruption than media are at exposing it, says pundit
Czech Environment Minister Pavel Drobil stepped down on Wednesday. His
announcement followed the release of recordings made by the head of a
department at his ministry, Libor Michálek, purporting to show Mr
Drobil’s advisor pressuring him into corruption aimed at funding the
minister’s political career. Another tape appeared to show Mr Drobil
offering Mr Michálek a promotion – if he destroyed the original
evidence. Pavel Drobil’s Civic Democrat party boss, Prime Minister Petr
Necas, is standing by him – and both argue that his only mistake was a
poor choice of subordinates. Radio Prague spoke to the commentator Erik
Best about the implications of the latest Czech corruption scandal. More
Environment minister steps down amidst corruption scandal
The Czech environment minister, Civic Democrat Pavel Drobil, has announced
his resignation over a corruption scandal at the ministry. Mr Drobil’s
decision came hours after the daily Mladá fronta Dnes exposed practices
aimed at channelling money from the ministry-controlled State Environmental
Fund. More
Junior party warns it will push through priorities or leave government
Public Affairs – the junior partner in the government coalition – held
a policy conference at the weekend seen largely as a litmus test on the
party’s future direction. After rising to the forefront of Czech politics
in May, the party lost much of its lustre almost as quickly, finding all
too little room to manoeuvre next to its right-of-centre partners. At the
weekend, party members, including leader Radek John, pledged to push more
strongly their top priorities such as their anti-corruption package or a
new softer approach on a number of previously agreed reforms. More
Confidential material from US embassy in Prague included in WikiLeaks release
Czech-US relations have been caught up in the massive release of secret US
diplomatic cables by the WikiLeaks server. One of more than a thousand
cables from the US embassy in Prague already put up on the whistle
blower’s server provides a snapshot of how Czech and US diplomats began
to recast their relations after the US dumped its plans for an anti-missile
base in the Czech Republic. More
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