Hřib and Scheinherr with their heads in the sand. He puts the blame on others. They are not the only ones that Uzheniya would step on
How do you perceive the Dosimeter corruption case with the leaders of the STAN movement, and do you think government politicians are handling it responsibly enough?
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The Dosimeter case is a big problem for the ruling Prague coalition. The pirates and Prague have long boasted to each other that they represent the anti-corruption coalition, and yet it was during their rule that Prague experienced the biggest corruption scandal since the revolution. And both Mayor Zdeněk Hřib and his deputy Adam Scheinherr bury their heads in the sand in front of their clear responsibility and try to blame their mistakes on someone else. So if someone is not handling the Dosimeter case responsibly, it is primarily the Prague Pirates and Prague itself.
“I don’t want to stand up for anyone, but it’s true that as they say that a minister can interfere in investigations and hinder cases, if he could, the case would not actually come to light today and it doesn’t matter who figures in it,” you said in the Czech Republic towards the Minister of the Interior, Vít Rakušan, who is also the head of the STAN movement, which is being investigated by the police subordinate to him. In addition, however, he appointed the head of the Office for Foreign Relations and Information, Petr Mlejnek – without the necessary security clearance and, moreover, with the knowledge that he has long-term contacts with the head of corruption in the Dozimetr case, Zlín businessman Michal Redl. Should the Austrian resign, as is demanded not only by the opposition?
I will definitely not call anyone to resign through the media. Mr. Austrian Minister can certainly consider for himself what responsibility he has to accept and take into account all the consequences of his decisions.
In a different way. Prime Minister Petr Fiala (ODS) let it be known that the Austrian minister still has his trust. Do you have too?
I am not a member of the government, nor a member of parliament, so whether Mr. Austrian has my trust or not is not very significant. What is important is that he has the trust of Prime Minister Fiala and his coalition partners. Now, however, it is absolutely necessary to disprove any doubts about the activities of our intelligence services – not only in the eyes of the Czech public, but also in foreign contacts on which civilian intelligence depends. That is also why I am glad that one of the conditions for Mr. Mlejenko’s remaining in office is essentially linked to his completion of a top-secret background check. This will rule out all doubts that have arisen or that could somehow affect his further work in the service.
Looking back on these events, do you still see a coalition of five different political entities as a good idea?
Of course yes. It was the only chance to remove Andrej Babiš from the government, because thanks to his non-systemic actions and bribing voters, our public finances are in decay and we are experiencing unprecedented inflation, which working people are paying for.
Do you think that government decisions are slower due to this composition?
I don’t think so, nor do I think the government has been slow to act. We have to help each other, that Peter’s government is concerned with us, which is not only with us, but in the entire period.
Government politicians are often criticized for insufficiently supporting the Czech Republic during the crisis and their help is insufficient. In one of the past interviews, you emphasized that the government does not have it under the current simple circumstances, and moreover, it inherited some things from the government of Andrej Babiš (ANO). Where would the politician add, for what, on the other hand, could the criticism be unjustified?
As I have already said, not only our country, but the whole of Europe is experiencing an unprecedented wave of price increases and a crisis regarding energy prices. There is no miracle recipe for ending this crisis. I am glad that our government is avoiding any populist gestures for now, but it will not hesitate to impose heavy fines on those who insult the situation. I am very curious how the inspection will turn out regarding a possible cartel agreement between gas stations. If proven, I would really insist on applying the highest fines.
Very understandable applications on the subject of gas. There are concerns about its sufficiency in winter not only for the household, but also for the Czech industry, which is partially dependent on gas. This in turn is related to employment, taxes, and so on. Are you worried about spring for this reason?
I don’t want to paint anything pink, the situation is serious and the problems will affect almost everyone. However, I am convinced that our government is doing its best to overcome a possible Russian gas outage. We fill tanks, we have a contract for gas from Dutch LNG terminals. And we in the individual city districts, in cooperation with the government, are ready to help wherever possible. Together we can do all this.
What about electricity? Is it okay to sell Czech energy through the German stock exchange, which raises its price? Should the Czech Republic remain in the single market of the European Union in a crisis, or consider leaving the stock market?
The energy market has essentially collapsed. It is definitely not governed by standard market mechanisms. If it were up to me, I would be more in favor of the direct sale of energy to Czech customers. At least until the current turbulent state calms down.
So can we take an example from Slovakia, where electricity goes directly to Slovaks in exchange for not introducing a sector tax by the state?
Yes, that is one option. In addition to Slovakia, for example, France also behaves similarly. In my opinion, this is an option that we should at least consider and seriously discuss.
What do you think of the opinion that the Czechs’ more expensive energy is the price for solidarity with Ukraine?
I definitely do not share this opinion because it is not true. The people who are spreading these views are people who want to intentionally make people angry with each other, and that is the last thing our society needs at this point. I am convinced that we are able to manage this difficult time together, but we must pull together, be respectful and tolerant towards each other. I consider targeted help to those who get into trouble to be the most important. There is no other way out of this.
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author: Zuzana Koulová