Prague/Ostrava, North Moravia, Jan 16 (CTK) – The statement of Petr Fiala, who was re-elected head of the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) Saturday, that the right-wing opposition ODS is ready to rule the country again seems rather scary, Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka (Social Democrats, CSSD) said.
The ODS rule was a disaster and the party has never realised how much it harmed the Czech Republic, Sobotka told journalists.
He said he believes that the ODS is not ready to bear responsibility yet because it does not realise the damage it caused.
“When the ODS ruled for the last time, it ended in a big disaster,” he said, referring to the government coalition of the ODS, TOP 09 and Public Affairs (VV) that governed in 2010-2013.
Sobotka said his government spent a lot of time trying to tidy up the mess caused by the right-wing parties, the ODS and TOP 09.
Pavel Belobradek, chairman of the junior government Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL), said the government ambition of the ODS is natural and logical. He said the ODS is in a similar position, in which the KDU-CSL was a few years ago.
The Christian Democrats lost a great part of their voters and failed to enter parliament in 2010, but they succeeded in returning to it under Belobradek in 2013.
Communist (senior opposition KSCM) deputy chairwoman Miloslava Vostra said it would be hard to forget ODS prime minister Petr Necas whose government saved money mostly at the expense of common people.
“The difficult task of regaining trust in the once powerful right-wing party may not be supported by the citizens,” Vostra said.
The right-wing governments, which ruled during the financial crisis, introduced many austerity measures that critics considered insensitive, especially in the social sphere. Sobotka´s government cancelled part of these measures.
At the election congress Saturday, Fiala said the ODS, which was tired and won only 16 seats in the 150-member parliament two years ago, has become a determined, economically solid party ready for action.
“Only those who have no history and did nothing have made no mistakes. We have a transparent account and a transparent story,” Fiala said.
The Civic Democrats overcame the deepest crisis of their 25-year-old history in the past two years, he said.
Fiala said the future of the country is threatened with socialist and populist formulas of the present government.
Same as TOP 09 leader TOP 09 Miroslav Kalousek who was a guest to the congress, Fiala warned against the oligarchisation of Czech society. They both criticised Deputy Prime Minister Andrej Babis, ANO movement leader and rich businessman.
In reaction, Babis said the “anti-Babis programme” is not enough for the ODS to win the next elections. The ODS failed to apologise for its previous governments, Babis said.
Marek Cernoch, deputy head of the small opposition Dawn-National Democracy movement, said the ODS had its place on the Czech political scene. “Fiala is removing the dirt of the past from the party,” Cernoch said.
