MP quits ANO but coalition retains solid majority
For the first time in the term of the current Czech government, an MP has left the party for which they were elected. David Pražák says he quit the ANO benches for a variety of reasons. In any case, the coalition retains a comfortable majority.
MP David Pražák announced on social media on Tuesday evening that he was quitting ANO after 11 years of membership.
He thanked the party for the opportunity – and said he would remain in the lower house as an unaffiliated deputy.
As for his reasons, he said national-level politics had impacted goings-on in the town of Semily, where he is designated mayor following local elections.
Mr. Pražák said the manner in which ANO and its coalition partners had recently fast-tracked divisive legislation to change the financing of public broadcasters Czech Television and Czech Radio had also been a factor in his decision, albeit not a key one.
Petr Jüptner is the head of the Institute of Political Studies at Charles University’s Faculty of Social Sciences. He spoke to Czech Radio after the surprise announcement of Mr. Pražák’s departure from ANO.
“On one hand, I think we can regard his explanation as credible. But on the other hand, it’s certainly vague. His statement doesn’t contain a clear reason. And I personally regard his decision to leave the ANO deputies group as a relatively serious matter; it was clearly going to attract media attention at national level. It could create a dangerous precedent. And he must have felt a lot of strain, personally.”
Though Mr. Pražák has not stated this publicly, political scientist Petr Jüptner says changes in ANO’s political orientation over the years may have played a role.
“He was in ANO since the start, since at least 2014, I believe. At that time, ANO targeted centrist or centre-right voters – but since then it has transformed greatly. So the idea that he may have no longer felt at home in the party is actually credible.”
While David Pražák said he had been considering quitting for some time, the move evidently came as a shock to his now-former party.
Taťána Malá, deputy head of the ANO deputies group, said she regarded his step as unfair toward the colleagues who supported him during his municipal election campaign.
But some colleagues evidently had a similar outlook, as another five people elected in Semily on the ANO ticket have also left the grouping with Pražák. And further “mass defections” from the party have been seen recently in two other municipalities.
However, at national level the MP’s departure won’t affect ANO inordinately.
Andrej Babiš’s party still has 79 mandates, while its coalition with Freedom and Direct Democracy and the Motorists holds onto 107 seats in the 200-seat chamber.
