Crisis Chronology | Czech Republic

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CZECH REPUBLIC

09/16/2023

Very large protest focused on high energy prices and other high costs of living against government policies organized by the political party PRO (Law, Respect, Expertise), which some say is pro-Russian. PRO leader Jindrich Raichl praises the government of Hungarian President Victor Orban. However, protestors seem to come from both the far left and the far right.

09/03/2023

Substantial protests against government efforts about inflation, the energy crisis, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Some of its leaders call for the country to be militarily neutral so that it does not become involved in a war with Russia. Petr Fiala criticizes the stance and suggests the group is pro-Russian. Many different political parties support the protest.

01/13/2023

Presidential election. Zeman is not eligible run again. Babis, recently acquitted in fraud trial, is the leading candidate. Retired army General Petr Pavel, a former chairman of NATO’s military committee, and former university rector and economist Danuse Nerudova, are Babis’ main challengers. The ruling coalition supports other candidates who are unlikely to win. Babis is a Euroskeptic, but Pavel and Nerudova are supporters.

09/24/2022

Second day of voting for the Saiema. The Spolu coalition consisting of the Civic Democratic Party (ODS), the KDU-ČSL (Christian and Democratic Union-Czechoslovak People’s Party, strong in the rural Catholic regions), and TOP 09 (Tradition Responsibility Prosperity, fiscally conservative and pro-Europe) won the most seats being voted on, 19. However Baabis’s ANO 2011 won the most votes, but only won 5 seats. 54 of the 81 seats were not up for election.

06/08/2022

Czech Republic considering withdrawing from the China-initiated 16+1 investment platform, citing “unfulfilled” initiatives. It was launched in 2012 as a way of China having more access to EU countries, but has failed to gain traction. Lithuania withdrew in 2021.

05/29/2022

EU discussions about Russian oil embargo stall over countries that depend heavily on Russian energy, especially Hungary but also Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Inflation and projections of sluggish growth complicate the economic future.

03/15/2022

Leaders of the Czech Republic, Poland, and Slovenia visit Kyiv.

11/26/2021

Zeman returns to hospital with COVID-19 hours after he was released. A meeting to confirm the new government is proposed.

11/11/2021

Babis agrees to resign.

11/08/2021

Governing coalition formed

The liberal-conservative coalition Together (composed of the Civic Democratic Party, Christian Democrats and the TOP 09 party) forms a governing coalition with a center-left liberal coalition made up of the Pirate Party and STAN, a group of mayors, to form a government. It will have 108 seats in the 200-seat parliament. Petr Fiala is the coalition’s nominee for prime minister. Zeman remains in the hospital but has signaled that he will inaugurate Fiala.

10/18/2021

Zeman still in hospital and so ill that Senate speaker recommends discussions about constitutional options for relieving him of his responsibilities.

10/10/2021

Zeman is hospitalized for “complications” with his chronic diabetes.

10/09/2021

Opposition wins parliamentary majority

An alliance of the liberal/conservative SPOLU (Together) coalition (the Civic Democratic Party, the TOP09 party, and the Christian Democratic Union-Czechoslovak People’s Party) wins 27.8% of the vote and the coalition of the Pirate party and the Mayor party (15.6%) win a majority in parliament with 108 of the 200 seats. The governing ANO party won 27.1%. President Zeman has suggested that he might still ask Babis to be prime minister, because Babis heads a single party and the others are disparate groupings. However, Babis will have a difficult time forming a majority in parliament. The recent publication of a second installment of including Babis.

09/29/2021

President Zeman says he will appoint a prime minister from the party that receives the most votes in the elections 10/8-10/9, ensuring that Babis will remain prime minister. Babis’s Ano party is leading in the polls with about 27%, but the more liberal parties, PaS and Spolu, each have about 21%, and could form a coalition for a government.

06/24/2021

A rare powerful tornado passes through several villages in southeastern Czech Republic, causing catastrophic damage. Much of Hrušky has been destroyed, according to its mayor. Four people are killed and 150 others are injured.

04/28/2021

Large rallies calling for the removal of President Zeman, due to his pro-Russian views.

10/26/2020

Government restricts hours of retail shops due to COVID-19 pandemic.

10/22/2020

Babis apologizes to the country for imposing new restrictions on gathering and businesses. Czechia is seeing one of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in the world.

10/07/2020

Czech Republic reports highest number of new cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began.

10/05/2020

Government imposes state of emergency, stay-at-home order, and travel restrictions after sharp rise in COVID-19 cases.

04/28/2020

After government reinstates COVID-19 rules that were struck down, court rules that all the restrictions are unlawful. The Czech Republic has about 7500 cases and 220 deaths.

04/23/2020

Prague court rules that some of the COVID-19 restrictions are unlawful.

03/13/2020

Czech Republic declares a state of emergency due to COVID-19. Parliament extends government eclaration until 4/31.

01/28/2020

Czech Republic deploys troops to the Sahel, as approved by Mali, Chad, Mali, and Niger.

12/10/2019

Large protest calls for Babis to resign over accusations that he misused millions of euros from the EU to fund a resort that his family owns, and intimidation of political rivals.

11/15/2019

New protests against Babis and others in government whom some see as the old Communist regime under a new name. Babis’s ANO requires the support of the Communist Party to govern.

01/04/2019

Czech Republic unemployment is lowest in Europe for the second year.

11/23/2018

The Babis government survives a no-confidence vote engendered by the corruption case against Babis.

11/14/2018

Czech Republic says it will not sign UN immigration pact, the Global Compact for Migration, saying that it does not sufficiently distinguish between legal and illegal immigrants. Babis says that it makes immigration a basic right. Hungary, Australia, Bulgaria, Austria, and the United States have already rejected the agreement, and Poland, Slovakia, and Italy are opposed to it.

10/05/2018

First of two days of voting for the Senate, in which one-third of the 81 seats are elected. The conservative Civic Democratic Party, led by Petr Fiala, won the most votes. The Czech Social Democratic Party of Jan Hamáček, a junior partner in the ruling coalition since 6/18, holds the most contested seats.

07/12/2018

Babis gathers enough votes to form a majority government, with the controversial help of the Communist Party, a part of government for the first time since 1989. Though the Communist Party of Bohemia will not formally be part of a coalition with Babis’s ANO and the Social Democrats, the party joined the coalition to allow it form a government with 105 seats of 200 in parliament.

06/27/2018

Babis forms new goverment

Babis forms new minority government with Social Democratic Party (CSSD). The coalition will have 93 seats of 200.

06/06/2018

Babis is given another opportunity to form a government. He hopes to gain the support of the Social Democratic Party (CSSD), which will vote o n forming a coalition with ANO on 6/15. ANO can probably also count on the support of the Communist Party (KSCM).

05/01/2018

Babis says that he will have another chance to form a government, in June..

01/26/2018

Zeman is reelected president with 51.5% in the runoff.

01/18/2018

PM Babis working quickly to form a new government before second round of presidential election, on 1/26.

01/16/2018

Government falls

Government loses a no-confidence vote. Babis has been unable to form a governing coalition, but will probably remain until a new government is formed. Other parties have been reluctant to support ANO due to corruption allegations against Babis businesses.

01/13/2018

After second round of voting, Zeman has 38.6% of the vote and Drahoš 26.6%. However, second round of voting may be close, with Drahos picking up more votes from other candidates. PM Babiš currently attemting to form a minority government.

01/12/2018

First round of voting in Czech presidential election. Pres Milos Zeman is the leading candidate. His main opponent is Jiri Drahoš, an independent academic who has not previously run for political office. Though Zeman’s health is suspect, and there is speculation that he has made a deal with ANO leader Babis to transfer power to ANO in the future. If no candidate wins a majority, a run-off will be held 1/26-27.

12/07/2017

Czech Republic recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.