Portlík (ODS): coalition with STAN in Prague and finance post

Prague’s ODS is ready to join a city coalition with STAN, the election winner, and is aiming for a finance-related post. This was stated by Portlík of ODS, whose Spolu pro Prahu bloc finished second in the election. Two options are currently on the table: an alliance of Spolu and STAN, or a three-party coalition with the Praha sobě movement.

A two-party coalition would have 34 votes out of 65. According to Portlík, relations with STAN over the past four years have been correct. The previous coalition with the Pirates had 37 votes but was noticeably less stable because of disagreements with its partners: “The Pirates resisted us all four years.”

Finance instead of the mayor’s chair

Portlík is not seeking the mayoral chain for himself: he says he is going “not for a post, but for responsibility.” Instead, he wants to oversee the city’s finances in order to deal with relations with the city districts. He reminded listeners that STAN also lays claim to this area, but if ODS respects STAN’s right to the mayor’s post, its partners could respect ODS’s wish as well.

In addition, a change in the budget allocation of taxes may be coming: Prime Minister Andrej Babiš effectively confirmed at a press conference that this is not just “rumors.” In Portlík’s view, the city must prepare for this while launching major projects at the same time: the inner city ring road, the Radlice radial, metro D and school construction. “We will soon see that there is not enough money in Prague’s account,” he warned.

In the previous council, STAN was responsible for territorial development and schools, while ODS handled infrastructure and social affairs. Portlík believes this division can be kept.

The petition and the “sleeping” mayor

A petition has appeared in Prague calling for a coalition without ODS. It upset Portlík: in his words, the results of a democratic election must be respected even if one holds a different opinion. He allowed that the petition might be used in the struggle for power but did not speculate about its authors.

He sees the reason for the second place partly in the image of the “sleeping” mayor, ODS’s Bohuslav Svoboda, who led the city for the past four years: he faced that image in every debate. National politics did not help either. He himself admitted that he could have campaigned more intensively and explained the platform better, although he tried his best.

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Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz