A sharp exchange of views took place between the representatives of the governing civil democrats. In recent days, long-time member of the party and outgoing MEP Jan Zahradil repeated his opinion that the ODS should break away from the Spolu coalition and seek a merger with the ANO movement after the next elections. However, the current vice-chairman of the party, Eva Decroix, reacted to this, sending him a Clausian “Who is Jan Zahradil?” message from a distance, and the dispute was on.
Zahradil gave several interviews on the occasion of the entry of the Czech Republic into the European Union, in which, among other things, he spoke in favor of a possible coalition of ODS and ANO.
“I make no secret of the fact that if the Spolu coalition fails to repeat the electoral success of 2021, we should simply break free from that coalition to start acting independently again as ODS. And I wouldn’t defend myself at all, and I say that too, and very loudly and openly, so that we might negotiate some future government with the ANO movement,” he recently told the Echo24 newspaper, for example.
However, Decroix, who also serves as vice-president of the ODS deputies’ club, did not like that. “Who Gardened Them? Out of function soon. Already without influence today. Some once powerful men can’t leave with honor…” she declared.
“I’m also glad, Eva, that you are so active in the media. Every public appearance you make, every tweet you make brings me some new followers. And I like it. Just keep going,” replied Zahradil and continued. “When we form a coalition with ANO, Eva will no longer be there,” he said.
The dispute was moderated by ex-prime minister and former party chairman Mirek Topolánek. “This is exactly a discussion that does not belong on X. Both opinions and both paths are wrong, and the one that is wrong belongs less to the inner-party arena, because it is not about ideas, but about realpolitik. If you cannot defend yourself with public statements, resolve your disputes outside of ODS. ODS will survive…” he said.
Reflections on the connection of the ODS with the ANO movement appear regularly. However, the current party leadership under Prime Minister Petr Fiala rejects such an idea. For example, the Minister of Transport and member of the ODS presidency, Martin Kupka, believes that the behavior of the ANO movement in the Chamber of Deputies precludes any cooperation, because the policies of both entities are incompatible. “I was amused by that reasoning, because it seems deranged to me precisely in light of how ANO is now beginning to reveal its blind populist politics,” Kupka told Echo24 last year, adding that ANO once again in government would have a negative impact on the Czech Republic.
Possible cooperation between ANO and ODS is not being addressed for the first time. It was recalled before the parliamentary elections in 2021 and was also addressed during the elections to the Prague municipality, where the parties almost reached an agreement. However, Prime Minister Fiala eventually pushed through the coalition on the so-called government blueprint.
Even the chairman of the ODS deputies, Marek Benda, clearly rejects the connection. “At the national level, we are part of a coalition of five. We are functioning quite well and moving things forward. Why should I think about a coalition with ANO, which absolutely regularly insults how mean we are to them and how we take away all their rights as the opposition,” he told the editors.
