Coalition talks: Mayors and Independents want four ministries, Pirates at least one

During Sunday’s coalition talks the Pirates and Mayors agreed that the Pirate Party will have its own club within the Chamber of Deputies and, if the two parties become part of government, at least one ministry, Czech Television reports. Chairman Ivan Bartoš could become Vice Premier for digitisation, according to Seznam Zprávy. Meanwhile, the Mayors and Independents want four ministries in a possible future government with the SPOLU coalition. There are currently 14 ministries in the Czech Republic.

In the polls the Pirates were viewed as the stronger coalition partner ahead of the legislative election. However, due to preferential voting, the party ended up getting just four seats in the Chamber of Deputies compared to the 33 secured by the Mayors and Independents. Nevertheless, as was highlighted on Saturday by Mayors and Independents Chairman Vít Rakušan, both parties agreed to act as one coalition in the next formation of the Chamber of Deputies.

The Pirates themselves are currently going through a period of intra-party discussion with some members asking for Chairman Ivan Bartoš to resign, according to media reports.

The Pirates and Mayors, together with the SPOLU coalition, agreed on a memorandum on Saturday in which they pledged to attempt to form a government and asked President Zeman to name SPOLU leader Petr Fiala prime minister.