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Prague – The strongest lineup of Czech representatives in the European Parliament, that is, seven MEPs elected for the ANO movement, do not expect to support the outgoing European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for another term. Communist Kateřina Konečná, who defended her mandate in the weekend elections in the coalition “Enough!”, also does not want to support her. Other protest groups – the non-parliamentary coalition “Oath with Motorists” and the opposition SPD movement – which together won three mandates, also reject supporting the commission head. They blame the current commission president for missteps such as the adoption of the Green Deal for Europe or the approval of the migration pact. On the contrary, the government TOP 09 and the Christian Democrats will support von der Leyen, and the Civic Democrats talked about working with her before the elections, but according to Alexander Vondra, they do not want to give von der Leyen a blank check. The three-party coalition “Together” finished second in the European elections with six mandates.
“For us, the current EC president should not continue because she was the architect of those legislation that will have negative impacts on people’s lives, and at the same time, we do not see any big success behind her,” said newly elected ANO MEP Jaroslav Bžoch to ČTK. Konečná stated that she did not support the commission head five years ago. “And after helping only corporations and pharmaceutical companies for five years, even the remnants of anything positive were completely destroyed… She never had my trust and never will,” she wrote to ČTK.
TOP 09 MP Ondřej Kolář, elected to the EP in the “Together” coalition, reminded that von der Leyen has the support of his faction. “We already supported her in March at the EPP (Christian Democrat faction) congress, I don’t think we will suddenly change that now,” he said. ODS election leader Vondra wrote to ČTK that a blank check is not on the table. “Now it’s up to the European Council, which must first approve the EC head by qualified majority. So now the prime minister will be negotiating. Then it will be the EP’s turn. But we will certainly be negotiating and some important things will be conditions for approval,” he said.
EPP lead candidate and outgoing commission president, following the announcement of the European election results, said that European conservatives are the strongest party. She emphasized that centrist parties have retained their votes, but extreme movements on the left and right also gained support. “I want to cooperate with those who are pro-Ukraine,” she said regarding seeking a majority in the European Parliament. “I am sure I can become the head of the European Commission again,” she added. To be elected, she needs the support of 361 MEPs in the European Parliament as well as the qualified majority of EU prime ministers and presidents. The Czech Republic will occupy 21 out of 751 seats in the Union Parliament.