Mirek Topolánek asked for the possibility to form new government shortly after the coalition lost the no confidence vote.
What will the ODS do in the following weeks?
We will not support any half-political government. We will demand early elections. The question is whether it will be a cabinet to lead the country to early elections or the one that will attempt a stable mandate. The situation is complicated by the power distribution in the lower house.
What do you think of the former coalition MPs who did not vote in support of the government?
With mister Tlustý it is a question of his character, and I will not comment on it any further. I held talks with Jakubková and Zubová in the past few days, but their conditions were nonsensical. I offered a standard cooperation like the one we have with MP Melčák, based on a written agreement. That means holding negotiations for every complicated bill. The MPs refused this and chose to play their game of dismantling the Green Party.
Are you considering a position in Brussels?
I have never thought about it, and it is only a speculation perpetrated by people like Bém and Tlustý.
Why did the cabinet lose the no confidence vote?
The fall of the government has been foreshadowed for some time, and I cannot say that we were not ready for it. I think that the main motivation were the growing ODS preferences, and so the Social Democrats took a step that is not bringing anything positive, but only causes chaos.
What are the other government formation options?
The options are obvious. It authorises Mirek Topolánek, since the ODS will not allow anybody else to be authorised. If the president wants to authorise someone else, it would only open up the road for the Communists and their direct or indirect participation in the future government.
Will you hold talks with the ČSSD about the support for your future cabinet?
I will talk to all the democratic parties. If the cabinet fails to get confidence, the only option will be early elections.
What does that mean for the Lisbon Treaty ratification?
That depends on the internal processes in the ODS. If I lose control over what is going on inside the ODS, the treaty will not be passed.
