Last week, the European Parliament confirmed von der Leyen to head the Commission for the next five years. A total of 707 MEPs voted. 284 voted against von der Leyen remaining in office, 15 abstained from voting. Seven votes were invalid. The politician also received votes from Czech MEPs, including Zdechovskýbut not from the Patriots for Europe faction, to which Jermanová also belongs from YES.
Ursula has changed
Pokorná Jermanová reproached Zdechovská in the program that his EPP faction elected von der Leyen. “A new green deal, new climate laws, a new redistribution fund – that’s the vision you’ll support and that’s where we differ.” she said. He defended his decision by saying that the head of the Commission “went through self-reflection” and has a vision of what to change next. For example, modify the strongly criticized Green Deal or the migration pact. “She has certainly gone through self-reflection … she herself knows that without a return policy, the migration pact is just a piece of paper,” defended Zdechovský.
A vision of the end of Europe?
“This is not a vision for Europe, this is a vision for the end of Europe. If you don’t perceive how citizens on the European continent perceive it, then it’s all wrong,” continued Pokorná Jermanová. “Perhaps you do not understand what a political program is,” Zdechovský countered and mentioned that the previous Czech government of its party leader Andrej Babiš “didn’t even complete 70 percent of the program.”
Insolence, he faced
Another point of contention among the invited politicians was also who specifically bound the Czech Republic – and how much – to the future Green Agreement. While Zdechovský gave the dates of which of the representatives of the former Babiš government signed up to Brussels, Pokorná Jermanová claimed that it was already the ministers of Petr Fial’s government (ODS). She mentioned the former People’s Minister of the Environment Anna Hubáčková by name. “This is already, Mrs. Jerman, utter obscenity!” responded Zdechovský.
There will be repercussions
According to Zdechovský, however, the Green Deal will have an impact on Czech consumers. “The Green Deal is not free, if we want to do something for the environment and fight change, it will cost something and it will affect consumer behaviour,” however, he pointed out that he believes that, for example, the ban on the production and sale of new cars with internal combustion engines will not happen from 2035. The two Czech MEPs also argued about the fact that the Czech Republic has not yet proposed its European Commissioner to the EC.
STAN should be the current European Commissioner Danuša Nerudová and Minister of Industry and Trade Jozef Síkela. “Of course, we want the European commissioner who comes out to be the best and to achieve something in the EC in 5 years. From that point of view, I wouldn’t rush it at all. You have to know how to play chess, you have to think 10 steps ahead,” Zdechovský defended the calm tempo on the Czech side. According to Pokorná Jermanová, ANO does not support any of these STAN candidates. “What he lacks are communication skills and skills, he is very arrogant, self-confident,” reviewed Síkela Pokorná Jermanová.
