President of the ANO club Alena Schillerová spoke at a meeting of the Chamber of Deputies, February 10, 2023, Prague.
Prague – Many MPs want to change the program of today's last session of the current session of the House of Representatives. This was announced by the chairman Jan Bartošek (KDU-ČSL). Representatives of the ANO opposition movement explain the process of the absence of a number of ministers during Thursday's regular interpellations. Today, the Lower Chamber is to approve a controversial government proposal to change the selection of members of the boards of Czech Television and Czech Radio. Prior to that, according to the proposal of Jakub Michálek (Pirates), the second reading of the amendments to support for refugees from Ukraine should be on the agenda.
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On Thursday, the ministers of finance Zbyněk Stanjura (ODS), for local development Ivan Bartoš and for foreign affairs Jan Lipavský (both Pirates) answered the questions of the deputies. Other members of the government apologized, including Prime Minister Petr Fiala (ODS), who was at an extraordinary meeting of the European Council in Brussels. Today, according to ČTK backroom information, four dozen applications were submitted to the block of proposals for changes to the program of the meeting.
Deputy Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Klára Dostálová (ANO) stated that ANO MPs wanted to listen to the calls of the coalition and keep their topics for interpellation. “We really tried, but unfortunately we spoke to an empty hall,” she said. According to Dostálova, there is nothing left but to try to include opposition topics on the agenda of the meeting. ANO club chairwoman Alena Schillerová also pointed out that Thursday's interpellations are mainly behind the proposals of her party colleagues to include new items on the agenda. “That's the one and only reason,” she said. He believes that the speaker of the House of Representatives, Markéta Pekarová Adamová (TOP 09), will ask members of the government to go to the interpellations.
SPD Chairman Tomio Okamura proposed a dozen extraordinary points of the meeting. In addition to the economic situation, he wanted to address the alleged introduction of censorship or the mention of the SPD in the Ministry of the Interior's report on extremism, which he described as a desperate attempt by the government coalition to lure away the voter movement. “Our voter is intelligent and knows what and how,” said Okamura. “You are normally a sleazy government,” he said of the intention to limit the speaking time limits of MPs by law. He criticized the government both for putting the Czech Republic in debt and for not wanting to regulate the prices of food and energy, thereby securing budget revenues.
The opposition proceeded in the same way as today on Tuesday and Wednesday. On Tuesday, the Chamber dealt with a pair of proposals. On Wednesday, ANO blocked the approval of the tightening of the provisions of the conflict of interest law known as the lex Babiš, and the lower house did not discuss anything. On Thursday, MPs will present two government drafts related to military legislation.
Today, according to CTK insider information, the House of Representatives should discuss the amendment of the “lex Ukraine” laws and possibly, if there is time, approve changes in the information obligation of collective investment funds . The proposed changes in the election of television and radio councilors, which provoke resistance from both ANO and SPD, will most likely not be approved today. Opposition MPs consider the adjustments to be expedient and blame the government camp for trying to control a pair of public media. Coalition politicians, on the other hand, claim that the aim of the amendment is to strengthen their resilience.
