Prague is waiting for a mayor for a record long time. And he is not even going to vote for him yet
Representatives will not elect a new Prague leadership at Thursday’s meeting. Only 14 representative committees will be established. Material related to the preparation of the budget for 2023, tender procedures in the transport company (DPP) or some materials from the social area should also be discussed. After Tuesday’s meeting, Zdeněk Zajíček (ODS), STAN Kateřina Arnotová and Pirátů Daniel Mazur told journalists. Club presidents will meet again on Friday. A new coalition has not yet been formed in Prague after the September elections, the incumbents are controlled by three committees established at the constituent meeting of representatives. Spolu won the election ahead of ANO in second and Pirates in third. The wait for the new mayor of Prague is the longest in history, almost 2 months already.
“We (at today’s meeting) came for the coalition, together with a proposal for how the council could take place. We suggest that information on the draft budget be discussed so that it can be approved at the council meeting on December 15. Secondly, we want information from representative Hana Kordová Marvanová (elected for Spolu) regarding the audits in the so-called Dozimetr case and the sale of land in Lysolajy,” said Zajíček.
Spolu also wants to discuss some of the resolutions of the serving city council that have been made since the elections. This will concern, among other things, the social area or selection procedures for a managerial position in a transport company (DPP).
Representatives should establish 14 committees and elect members. Now they exist since the founding meeting of the financial, control and school committees, which is imposed by law. The composition of the new committees will copy the election results and their number and focus will be the same as in the previous election period. The composition of the three committees already established will not change on Thursday. Zaječek said that the composition and number of committees could change only after a new coalition is formed. According to Mazura and Arnotová, neither the Pirates nor STAN have a problem with Thursday’s choice. Mazur said that individual clubs will now select their nominees.
A document related to the preparation of the next year’s budget should be included in the meeting agenda. It is prepared by the finance committee. “We assume that there will be some discussion about it. The council should adopt a resolution to this effect so that the proposal is published and can be discussed and approved on December 15,” said Zajíček.
The Spolu coalition won the municipal elections in Prague this year, winning 19 mandates in the 65-member council. ANO ended second with 14 mandates. The third Pirates have 13 representatives. Čtvrtá Praha Sobě has 11 mandates, five representatives have STAN in fifth place. Sixth is the SPD with three mandates. Coalition negotiations in the metropolis began immediately after the September elections, but have not moved forward yet. Vítězné Spolu promotes a coalition on the government’s plan with Pirates and STAN. However, the Pirates have created a Stability Alliance with Prague Sobě and want to continue negotiations exclusively together.
Prague has been without a new mayor for a record long time
This year’s wait for the mayor of Prague is the longest in the history of the independent Czech Republic, 59 days have already passed since the September elections, and the shape of the future municipal coalition is not yet known. The representatives will not elect a new leadership of Prague even at Thursday’s meeting. After today’s meeting, the chairmen of Spolu representatives (ODS, TOP 09 and KDU-ČSL) Zdeněk Zajíček (ODS), STAN Kateřina Arnotová and Pirátů Daniel Mazur told journalists.
Since the elections in the fall of 1994, it took a month and a half to elect a new city leader – in 2010, the council and the mayor were elected 45 days after the elections, four years later it took only a day longer. In 1994 and 1998, the mayors were elected less than two weeks after the elections.