Miloš Vystrčil was reelected senate president after receiving 73 out of 77 votes. He said the Senate is a proud ship with its own compass, which should not be subject to an indisputable or infallible leader, in a speech before the vote.
After the election, he said he highly valued the trust he was shown. He asked the senators to remain “kind but relentless to him, because it is very important.” The senators gave Vystrčil a standing ovation after winning reelection.
“Personally, I wish that the Senate would not be subject to any purpose-oriented advisor, that he would never cling to any infallible and omniscient leader. I would like the senate to remain a proud ship with its own compass,” Vystrčil said.
In the election for the President of the Senate this spring, Vystrčil had an opponent in the person of the Vice-President of the Upper Chamber, Jiří Růžička, from the Starostů Club. Two years ago, three candidates ran for the “first among equals” position. Jaroslav Kubera from the ODS club, who died suddenly in January, won the most votes. According to Vystrčil, he was a leading figure and an unmissable face of the Senate.
According to Vystrčil, the Senate is “literally fused” with the Czech Republic like no other institution due to its composition. He must remain the guardian of freedom, democracy, and the rule of law. It should also make a maximum contribution to overcoming the current coronavirus crisis and pay attention to it. “No one but the dedicated and responsible citizens will defeat the crisis, no one else,” said Vystrčil.
The President of the Senate regrets that the government has not fully heeded some early warnings regarding the coronavirus epidemic. However, he is convinced that it is the duty of the Senate to cooperate with the government and other institutions. “It is not time to collect political points, but to cooperate, to find solutions, and to provide assistance,” he said.
According to Vystrčil, the Senate is “an institution that is in itself endowed with experience and humility, and perhaps also thanks to that, with its talent or ability to choose the right ways throughout.” “He is able to do so even when most people think of something else, to go on a different path or even to go nowhere,” said Vystrčil. The upper house’s role is not always appreciated because of this, but the Senate mustn’t lose the experience, humility, strength, will, and talent to find the right paths.
Vystrčil thanked all those who support the Senate, as well as his family, “for their continued support and careful supervision to keep me normal.”
Vystrčil has been at the head of the upper chamber since 19 February, when he replaced the prematurely deceased Jaroslav Kubera (ODS). At that time, he had an opponent in the person of the Vice-President of the Senate Jiří Růžička (for TOP 09 and STAN) and received 52 of the 76 votes cast. In the then election, three senators did not vote for any candidate, and four senators apologized for the meeting. Today, in addition to the new senators Helena Pešatová and Karel Zitterbart from the Starostů club, Jiří Čunek and Anna Hubáčková from the KDU-ČSL club were absent from the Senate meeting.