Green support for government hinges on tougher demands on ČEZ

The chairman of the Green Party, Ondřej Liška, says his party will only return to the government if the Prime Minister requests that the state energy company submit a cleaner proposal for modernising the Prunéřov coal plant and amends the mining act. Mr Liška said Sunday that Green participation in the interim cabinet is only possible if the government is not “arm in arm with ČEZ”, and he added that he does not believe that Prime Minister Fischer is willing to meet his party’s conditions. The Green Party’s two nominees to the cabinet have resigned in the last two weeks. Environment minister Jan Dusík left his post because he said he was being pressured by the PM to approve the Prunéřov plant’s modernisation in spite of shortcomings in the plan. When Mr Dusík was replaced with a candidate they deemed unsuitable, the Greens then withdrew their other cabinet representative, Human Rights Minister Michael Kocáb. That post will now apparently be filled by Prime Minister Fischer himself. The Civic Democratic Party has also said that they will withdraw their ministers from the government if they or the Greens are not given the available cabinet seats.