Prague, Aug 27 (CTK) – MEP Miroslav Poche remains the Social Democrats’ (CSSD) only candidate for foreign affairs minister, CSSD chairman and acting Foreign Minister Jan Hamacek told journalists today.
Hamacek, who is also deputy PM and the interior minister, added that he had no information that the situation would be a burden for Czech diplomacy.
President Milos Zeman refused to appoint Poche as foreign minister in June and reiterated several times he would not change his stance.
Following his meeting with Zeman in Lany today, PM Andrej Babis (ANO) said the situation was not ideal and that he expected the CSSD to resolve it soon, within a few weeks.
He said they discussed the matter briefly with Zeman, but they could not go into much detail as it depended on the proposal the CSSD board would come up with on Friday.
Babis also said today that he believed the foreign ministry was not affected by the current situation, as it had quality deputy ministers.
Hamacek said that the decision of the CSSD’s board to nominate Poche for the post was still valid.
The board is to meet again on Friday and will discuss the situation.
Hamacek did not respond to a question on whether the board could change its view in this respect.
“The board is a collective body, each member has but one vote, including the chairman,” he said.
He said he wanted to discuss the issue with Zeman, which he expected to do informally on Wednesday when Zeman was to receive Czech ambassadors at the presidential seat.
Hamacek said he would like to resolve the situation as soon as possible, but did not specify any deadline today.
Hamacek repeatedly refused speculations that the CSSD could nominate the CSSD’s election leader in Prague, Jakub Landovsky, instead of Poche.
“It is a speculation of one of our dailies. I have never said Mr Landovsky should be the CSSD’s candidate,” he said.
Landovsky himself refused the speculations this weekend when he said he was not offered the post and was focusing on success in the local elections.