Pirates Will Not Back Babis – Plan to Walk Out on Confidence Vote in Protest

Prague, Dec 21 (CTK) – Czech Pirates will not back the new government of Prime Minister Andrej Babis’ ANO by walking out of the room before the confidence vote, party leader Ivan Bartos told journalists today.

 

However, the Pirates want to look for joint points in the programmes of the government and the Pirates and they have come up with four points they want to insist on, even if the government does not get confidence, Bartos said.

 

The chairman of the Pirates deputy group, Jakub Michalek, said these were the publication of the contracts signed by the national power company CEZ in the register of contracts, the limitation of political posts in state-run companies, changes in the distraint procedure and fight against European tax havens.

 

Bartos said Babis personally had taken part for the first time in the meeting of ANO with Pirates.

 

However, Babis did not convince the Pirates to back ANO, he added.

 

“We repeated our position that we will be a constructive opposition, we will be looking for joint points in the programme, but we will not support the one-colour government or we will not tolerate it by walking out of the room,” Bartos said.

 

He said the Pirates’ strategy would be the same even if Bartos tried to form the government for the second time.

 

The Pirates do not want to be any troublemakers while in opposition, Bartos said.

 

This is why they unveiled some points to ANO leaders on which they will insist even if the government does not gain confidence from the Chamber of Deputies.

 

“These are specific, measurable aims, defined by time intervals,” Bartos said.

 

The Pirates want to submit an amendment embedding in law the duty to publish its contracts in the register in January.

 

“The previous government wanted to keep it secret, having approved an exception,” Michalek said.

 

In February, there should be a law setting down the conditions for members of boards of of state-controlled companies. At present, the posts are filled by political nominees who earn hundreds of thousands of crowns monthly, not rendering the required work, he added.

 

In March, the Pirates want to start dealing with the distraint system, primarily with the problem that the same people face it simultaneously at a number of distraint offices, Michalek said.

 

The Pirates have also asked Babis to try and deal with the unusual legislation in Cyprus, Luxembourg and Ireland on the European level, thanks to which some selected companies do not have to pay taxes in the Czech Republic.

 

“I believe that we will gain support for the four points,” Michalek said.