Transparency International (TI) criticised the Czech government of Prime Minister Petr Fiala for backtracking on its election promises to fight corruption, according to bne IntelliNews.
The anti-corruption NGO’s executive director David Kotora stated that Fiala’s party had obstructed “all the legislative measures” to tackle corruption.
The Civic Democrats [ODS] do not have the curbing of corruption in their DNA. The promised ‘reform’ in active solving of corruption has not arrived with the current government and it won’t come. Premier Fiala and his ruling coalition are failing in this regard.
TI warned that the current bill was intended to “only formally fulfil the EU requirement” so as not to lose EU funds from the national recovery plan. The organisation recalled that ODS lawmakers admitted that part of the lobbying bill was drafted by the manager of the telecommunications company CETIN, which belonged to the powerful private financial firm PPF Group.
Petr Fiala is positioning himself into a model role of a politician with high political culture. However, the reality is such that besides other issues he is covering up serious transgressions of the [ODS] Minister of Justice Pavel Blažek.
Kotora emphasised that Fiala allowed its lawmakers to “implement bills that go against the public interest and play into private power interests.”
Fiala’s government has one of the lowest cabinet approval ratings in history, whereas ANO is gaining popularity in public surveys. Former TI director David Ondračka openly called for Fiala’s replacement, warning that his domestic policies would pave the way for ANO’s return to power.
