ODS Prague Mayoral Candidate: Babiš Has Declared War on Prague and Wants to Starve the City

Tomáš Portlík, first deputy chairman of the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) and its candidate for Prague mayor, has accused Andrej Babiš's government of waging an outright "war" against Prague. According to him, the cabinet has set its sights on the 170 billion crowns accumulated in the Czech capital's accounts and is trying to strip the city of its financial independence.

Portlík said that statements by Prime Minister Babiš and Finance Minister Alena Schillerová about the city's savings have long gone beyond ordinary political sniping. "In my view, they've declared war on Prague. I've even read that they want to starve the city out," the politician said. He added that the state not only fails to co-finance major infrastructure projects, as is customary in the West, but is also planning to raise public transport fares and mortgage costs through VAT increases.

The Battle for the Mayor's Chair

According to a Median poll conducted specifically in Prague, Portlík's personal ratings put ODS in only third place, trailing both the ANO movement and the Mayors and Independents (STAN). Portlík, however, points to a different survey — by Ipsos — which puts ODS at 23–24%, STAN at around 18%, with ANO close behind.

Portlík ruled out any coalition with ANO at the level of Prague City Hall, calling such an alliance unacceptable. He was also critical of ANO's candidate Jan Gušbauer, deputy mayor of Prague 4 since 2022, describing him as likely to act as a "go-between" carrying out Babiš's orders rather than as an independent politician with genuine experience in city management.

Countering the Government's Claims

Responding to the argument that Prague, having amassed 170 billion crowns without spending it effectively, has no right to demand more from the state, Portlík turned the criticism back on the cabinet. He noted that in eight months in office the government has failed to carry out a single structural reform, while planning a budget deficit 100 billion crowns larger than that of the previous cabinet — the very one it once condemned.

The politician also cited the confusion surrounding the planned new Prague hospital: discussions initially focused on a site in Letňany, before attention shifted, without explanation, to Vinohrady Hospital. Portlík recalled that ANO's first deputy chairman and Deputy Prime Minister Karel Havlíček, while courting Prague voters ahead of the 2025 parliamentary elections, had himself spoken of the need for state support for the capital's costly infrastructure projects — the extension of metro line D, the inner ring road, the Radlická radiála, and bridge repairs.

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Source: seznamzpravy.cz