From left, Minister of Defense Jana Černochová, Prime Minister Petr Fiala and Chief of the General Staff Karel Řehko at a press conference after the command meeting of the Chief of the General Staff, November 22, 2022 Prague.
Prague – The army and the Ministry of Defense are facing enormous challenges in connection with the war in Ukraine and the modernization of the army, which can bring with it some nervousness. Prime Minister Petr Fiala (ODS) spoke about the disagreements between Defense Minister Jana Černochová (ODS) and Chief of the General Staff Karl Řehka after today's government meeting. However, according to Fiala, Thursday's joint meeting, which was reported by the Seznam Zprávy server today, will show that there are no contradictions and that everyone is working for the benefit of Czech security.
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Deník N website and Respekt magazinelast week, referring to behind-the-scenes information, they wrote that Řehka had previously proposed his resignation to Fial due to disagreements with Černochová. However, Fiala rejected Řehka's proposal. “We are not here to fight, but to defend the Czech Republic and have a modern army,” the Seznam Zprávy server quoted Černochová today. According to the minister, the whole matter is “blown out”.
Fiala invited Řehka and Černochová to a joint meeting on Thursday afternoon. “There have been speculations about contradictions in the media. I think that after this meeting it will be absolutely clear that there are no contradictions and that everyone is working in favor of the Czech Republic's defense capability and the protection of its citizens,” said the prime minister.
Fiala admitted that the army and the defense are now facing big challenges and are not in an easy situation. He mentioned the Russian aggression in Ukraine, the related major changes in the North Atlantic Alliance and the ongoing work to modernize the military. “These are big challenges, things around which there can be some nervousness. But it is clear that all key actors are aware of their responsibility and will pull together,” he stated.
The Deník N website and Respekt magazine reported last week, based on interviews with people from the army, that Řehka considered resigning due to disputes with the Minister of Defense. The chief of the general staff allegedly felt that the head of the department was exceeding her competences and encroaching on his powers. According to the media, the disputes lasted several months and culminated when the head of the department rejected Řehka's proposal to nominate some people for promotion to the rank of general. According to the servers, the Chief of the General Staff was considering leaving the leadership of the army, and because of this he met with National Security Advisor Tomáš Pojar and Prime Minister Fiala, who talked Řehka out of leaving.
President Petr Pavel in an interview today for Deník.cz he called it unfortunate if problems of any kind between the army and the Ministry of Defense are discussed through the media. “I haven't had the chance to talk to the prime minister or the minister about it yet, so I don't want to comment on the situation,” said the former chief of the general staff.
Pavel warned Řehka and Černochová that it is not good for their disputes to “bubble into the public “. “Especially when both have the same interest, i.e. functional defense of the Czech Republic, good relations with allies. Interpersonal relations need to be adapted to this,” he stated.
