The government publishes its program statement. The most changes will be in the area of taxes and energy
“Another shortfall in budget revenues in the order of tens of billions cannot be solved under the current situation,” explained Jurečka. He added that most of the changes in the program statement will have to be made in the energy and tax areas.
He thus referred to the words of Prime Minister Petar Fiala (ODS), who stated already in November that he would not comply with some elements of the program, given that the program was created before the unexpected invasion of Russian regions into Ukraine, which fundamentally affects many. Jurečka refuses to make cuts in her social chapter and wants to focus on increasing parental care.
Prime Minister Jureček also plans to adjust the pension valorization scheme this year. Above all, early retirements put a lot of pressure on the state coffers last year. Eighty thousand people applied for early retirement last year, which is about fifty thousand more than the previous year. According to deputy Radim Fiala (SPD), the reason for such great interest in early retirement may be the fear of the pension reform that Marian Jurečka wants to prepare.
“In my opinion, the uncertainty of raising the retirement age can be of such high interest. People would rather say they will retire early than work for another five years,” Radim Fiala assessed. Deputy Prime Minister Jurečka wants to bring the adjustment of valuations into effect as early as January 1, 2024. According to him, the fundamental changes will mainly concern the generation of “Husák’s children”.
The guests also debated how to ensure higher energy security in the Czech Republic. The discussion again turned to the previously mentioned option, that the state could intervene in the structure of ČEZ and displace the minority shareholders. The state would then have electricity prices in its hands. However, Deputy Prime Minister Jurečka refused to confirm this step in any way or to specify in more detail the time when it could happen.
Marian Jurečka also expressed her disapproval of the pardon granted by President Miloš Zeman to Jana Nagyová Nečasová in the Military Intelligence case. “This all fits into the politics of Miloš Zeman, as he has been practicing it for the entire thirty years and for the last ten years as president. It’s another example of how the performance of the office of the president should not look like,” Jurečka emphatically assessed.
“I was very surprised. I expect that he will explain it to Miloš Zeman,” Czech trade unionist and former presidential candidate Josef Středula added to the whole situation. The guests also commented on the possible granting of a pardon for the construction company Metrostav, which is currently banned from participating in public procurement competitions for three years.
According to Deputy Prime Minister Jurečka, it is possible that even in this case the president will take this step. “I am afraid that Miloš Zeman’s creativity will surprise us even more in the last two months of his office. It is absurd that Marie Benešová, who is also an adviser to the president, is helping Metrostav with writing the application,” Jurečka criticized, adding that it is absolutely unacceptable.
Jana Černochová (ODS) in Terezia Tománková’s Party once again defined herself against the campaign led by Andrej Babiš on his billboards. According to her, it is abuse of Czech soldiers and defamation of their work. “I do not express my support to any of the candidates. As the Ministry of Defense, however, I had to object to such rhetoric on billboards. Mr. Babiš makes our soldiers brainless who wish there would be a war. I would compare it to the logic of an oncologist who wants more people to have cancer,” said Černochová.