ANO candidate in Prague's Libuš registers at workers' hostel

Pavel Fischer, the ANO movement's candidate for mayor of Prague's Libuš district, only became eligible to run in the local election because two months ago he registered permanent residence at a workers' hostel — that is where the 55-year-old politician is now officially living.

Registered at a workers' hostel

Before this, Fischer spent several years as a councillor in the Prague 4 district and works as a manager at an insurance company. His new official address is house No. 813/4 on V Hrobech Street, where residents hang laundry to dry on barred windows, sleep in bunk beds and cook in a shared kitchen. Under Czech law, only someone with permanent registration in that specific municipality may run in its local election.

In conversation, Fischer initially confirmed that he really does live at that address. But when asked whether it was the same workers' hostel where people hang laundry outside the window, he began to dodge the question: “I don't think I need to say anything on that topic right now.” Asked whether he actually sleeps there every night, he replied: “I live an active life, so you probably won't find me there every day.”

Three more candidates registered at the same address

It has emerged that three more ANO candidates in Libuš also have permanent registration at the same hostel: Lukáš Culek, second on the list, and Jan Helcl, sixth on the list, along with another candidate placed fifteenth, second-to-last on the list. Asked whether this was a coincidence, Fischer said only: “Quite a lot of people live there,” and when asked whether they all lived together, he said he had no idea.

Fischer previously ran for office from Prague 4, and is now standing in both Libuš and the neighbouring district of Písnice. He explained his unexpected connection to the area by saying that Libuš is geographically close to Prague 4, which he knows well, and that he has many friends and relatives there.

Called the housing “temporary” but dodged direct questions

The hostel's rooms are designed for four people with bunk beds, with the toilet and kitchen located in the corridor. Fischer confirmed that this is indeed how he lives but called it a “temporary” arrangement. He could not say whether the other candidates were also living there temporarily: “I admit I don't know.”

Asked directly whether he had registered at the hostel solely to gain the right to run for mayor in Libuš, the politician replied: “I don't think I'm there out of some calculation.” When the conversation grew tense, he suggested meeting in person at one of the campaign events — “face to face, not over the phone.” And when asked whether he actually sleeps in Prague 4, where he ran last time, he said he saw no point in continuing the conversation, asked the caller's name again, and hung up.

Read also: Permanent residence registration in Czechia for foreigners: deadlines, documents, landlord's refusal

Source: seznamzpravy.cz