The Pirates are telling lies, they should sprinkle ashes on their heads, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala (ODS) said in the CNN Prima NEWS studio as he explained his actions in dismissing Pirate Regional Development Minister Ivan Bartos. He also denied that he had not communicated with the Pirates, but on the contrary, he did not call Jakub Michálek, the head of the Pirates' parliamentary club. "I called him about eight times, he didn't answer his phone, he didn't get back to me. What are they complaining about then? Is this a serious meeting?" he was heard in Terezie Tománková's party.
You can watch the entire debate with Petr Fiala on CNN Prima News.
In a CNN Prima NEWS broadcast, the Prime Minister again described how the fateful meeting took place, when he was supposed to hear from Bartos about the status of the digitalisation of the construction procedure. He was not pleased with the outcome. "When I left I said we have to deal with it, it can't be like this. And then I thought about what to do next, and I said to myself that if I invite him again in a week, in two days or whatever time, it will still be the same. And that I have to take the step that's uncomfortable. I did that," He told Petr Fiala in the Party.
"I knew I had another meeting with Ivan Bartos at four o'clock in the afternoon. In the meantime, I called him and told him, 'Ivan, I'm going to call you off. At the next meeting, we'll talk about how to proceed.' said the Prime Minister defending his approach Petr Fialawho also became the target of criticism for his "phone sacking".
Czech PM Petr Fiala harshly condemned the Pirates' press conference, saying they were "godfathers of ODS" and "ugly scams". He also criticized the head of the Pirate parliamentary club, Jakub Michálek, for not answering his phone.
"The chair of the parliamentary caucus does not answer the phone for the prime minister and the chair of the coalition party and then complains about something. I called him about eight times. Isn't this worse behaviour? How come he didn't answer my phone? How come I haven't heard from him yet? Is this serious business? Can people like this ever moralize and complain about anything? They can't. And the lies that were told at the press conference - I would have thrown ashes on my head and said: 'Well, we failed, that's clear, let's sort it out.' That's really unbelievable." he got angry Petr Fiala.
For his part, he is ready to negotiate with the Pirates despite all the verbal skirmishes. He says it is still true that they can remain in government, although he does not understand the situation where Bartoš declares he is leaving the government while the Pirate Forum is still voting on it.
Pirates got ministers too, I respected them
He also denied that the alleged godfathers of the ODS or the head of the ICT Union and chair of the Chamber of Commerce, Zdeněk Zajíček, were involved in the entire government crisis. He recalled that the government would have gotten along without the Pirates when the cabinet was formed, yet he "took them on board" and fought for them in Lány in front of then-President Miloš Zeman.
"It's really complete nonsense. I feel disappointed. At the beginning, when I formed the government, I respected what we had agreed before. The Pirates had four votes in the House, we didn't need them for a majority. I fought a huge battle with Miloš Zeman so that all the Pirate candidates would be there. With four MPs, they had three members of the government, the Deputy Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies and several deputies. I constantly defended the Pirates and behaved absolutely correctly towards them," concluded the Prime Minister Petr Fiala.
I want clarity on the form of the coalition by Wednesday at the latest. I want to have a complete and operational cabinet within 14 days, Prime Minister Petr Fiala (ODS) revealed on Terezie Tománková's Partia on CNN Prima NEWS. He also did not rule out the possibility that the post of Minister for Legislation would be abolished when the Pirates leave the government, in which case the Ministry of Regional Development and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs could be divided between STAN and ODS. As for the head of diplomacy, Jan Lipavský, he has announced his intention to leave the Pirates. He is due to discuss his fate with the prime minister on Monday. "There is certainly good continuity at the State Department," Fiala outlined in Partija.
Petr Fiala said in Partija that he is not planning a major reconstruction of the government. "I want to be completely clear by Wednesday at the latest. On Wednesday I will tell the public how it will be. I would like us to have a complete, functional, efficient, effective government within 14 days." the Prime Minister remarked on air Fiala.
On Tuesday, the Prime Minister announced his decision to propose to President Petr Pavlov the dismissal of Deputy Prime Minister and Regional Development Minister Ivan Bartos (Pirates) on Monday, 30 September, due to the failure to digitise the construction procedure. Bartoš described the prime minister's move as a set-up, as he had held talks with him several hours earlier and, according to the outgoing Pirates chief, Fiala had not suggested anything of the sort. He later told the prime minister that the Pirates as a whole were quitting the cabinet.
Fiala also sees no reason for the coalition in the lower house to ask for confidence after the Pirates leave the government. The reason is simple - nothing will change in the cabinet's agenda and the coalition MPs will retain their majority. With the Pirates, the coalition has 108 votes in the lower house, without them 104.
"The government's programme statement, with which we have gained confidence, continues," He said Petr Fiala on CNN prime news. He would consider such a move a show for the opposition.
Lipavsky will be decided on Monday
Pirate Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský will discuss his future in the cabinet with Fiala on Monday. There have been speculations in the media that he might remain in the cabinet as a non-party member for another ruling party. "There is certainly good continuity at the State Department in particular. We will think about whether this is a viable path for Jan Lipavsky, myself, the parties of the governing coalition," outlined by Petr Fiala in the Party. He again described Lipavský as a good minister.
The Prime Minister also said that on Thursday he told the Pirates that he could imagine several scenarios. The first is that they do not leave the government. The second is that the coalition agreement will be modified and even if the Pirate Party leaves the cabinet, the programme points will be implemented and the Pirates will support the government in some way. The third, which Fialy said the Pirates are now leaning towards, is that they will be a radical opposition and deny what they have been doing in government for three years.
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