In mid-December 2025, vice-chair of the ANO 2011 movement Alena Schillerová once again became minister of finance. Her return to the ministry was an emotional one – she was coming back to a place where she had spent a large part of her professional career. “For me, it is not only a professional matter, but a personal one,” she said.
The big topic in recent weeks has been drafting the 2026 budget. How challenging was it?
Above all, it was necessary to return to a proven practice of transparent and fair budgeting. My predecessor, Zbyněk Stanjura, negotiated behind closed doors and kept the draft budget secret until the last moment in order to conceal his accounting tricks. Individual expenditure items were underestimated, and off-budget loans were used to fill the gaps. The result was an unrealistic deficit and weakened public trust. I therefore reinstated the practice of meeting personally several times with each of my cabinet colleagues and their economic or operations directors responsible for their ministries’ finances. Everyone was given the same conditions: I would not accept any new additional demands, except for mandatory expenditures and the fulfilment of specific government commitments, such as the state taking over payments for renewable energy sources. Our goal was to prepare a budget that would not merely “balance on paper,” but would be realistic and sustainable throughout the year. That was my approach.
What was your main focus in the new budget?
Primarily to ensure that the state could meet all its obligations. We inherited a draft budget with a deficit of 286 billion crowns that lacked funding for mandatory expenditures, transport infrastructure, regional education, and agricultural support. On top of that, revenue projections – for example in social insurance contributions – were significantly overestimated, making it clear the budget was not realistic. We had to thoroughly review the entire proposal and make it credible, going back to basics and preparing a transparent budget free of tricks.
Where do you absolutely need to allocate funds
I am pleased that we were able, at least partially, to offset the decline in real – and in many cases even nominal – wages. We increased public sector wages by ten percent, and because we financed this by saving on ministries’ operating expenditures, it did not cost the state as much as one might think. At the same time, it is essential to invest in healthcare, education, and transport infrastructure and to implement a range of projects. These areas were severely underfunded. A great deal of work lies ahead.
Self-employed individuals also expect the promised government support. Will they receive it?
Yes. It was a priority for me. We cannot punish sole traders and small entrepreneurs for trying to stand on their own feet. The drastic increase in social contributions introduced under the so-called consolidation package has cost them a total of fifty thousand crowns over the past three years. For many people in ordinary professions, that is a blow threatening the very existence of their business. When entrepreneurship ceases to pay off, people are pushed toward undeclared work or forced to scale back their activities. That is why we halted this spiral and reduced the assessment base from 40 percent back to 35 percent. I believe sole traders are best placed to decide their own future. If they conclude that higher contributions are worthwhile, they can voluntarily increase their assessment base. If they prefer to allocate their funds to pension savings, invest elsewhere, or simply manage their resources differently, the state should neither prevent nor force them. Our ambition is to strengthen that freedom of choice and create an environment that motivates people to work, do business, and be self-reliant. I expect the relevant legislation to take effect by mid-year at the latest. Although it was not ready by January 1, a transitional provision ensures that sole traders will receive the difference back as an overpayment.
Is defense underfunded? The opposition has strongly criticized this part of the budget.
We are bound by the legal commitment to allocate two percent of GDP to defense; it is a mandatory expenditure. This year, total defense spending will amount to 184.6 billion crowns, compared with 171.6 billion last year – an increase of thirteen billion. In GDP terms, that represents a record 2.1 percent. For comparison, during Petr Nečas’s tenure as prime minister, defense spending stood at only one percent of GDP. It was our government that more than doubled the army’s budget. We are now spending more than the previous administration did. The commitment is being met, and there is no threat to defense funding.
There is much talk about restoring public finances. What does that involve?
Repairing public finances requires a combination of measures we are planning. We want to stop unnecessary spending, support economic growth, manage public money efficiently, and ensure that everyone who works pays their legal contributions. There is no point in relying on accounting tricks or hidden reserves; we must have a clear picture of revenues and expenditures. At the same time, we must motivate people and businesses to fulfil their obligations and ensure that public funds are used effectively. Only in this way can we maintain stable finances in the long term, secure necessary investments, and meet mandatory commitments such as pensions and defense spending.
A “tax cobra” task force is being prepared to combat undeclared work. Will this mean more inspections for ordinary citizens?
No. My goal is certainly not to introduce blanket inspections or burden employees and businesses unnecessarily. Most people work honestly and have nothing to fear. However, from what I hear, illegal or disguised employment has become a major phenomenon, costing the state tens of billions of crowns annually, particularly in lost social insurance contributions. Up to half a million people are working off the books. In this respect, the state has failed and the previous government largely overlooked the problem. We have decided to address it systematically by creating a specialized group in cooperation with the Financial Administration, Customs Administration, Labor Office, Czech Social Security Administration, health insurance companies, the police, and the labor inspectorate. These institutions already hold extensive data, and by linking and analyzing it, we can target inspections where there is genuine suspicion of abuse. My primary objective is to ensure that the state and public budgets receive what they are legally entitled to. We do not want to create a new bureaucratic oversight mechanism over ordinary citizens, but to detect and deter those who systematically evade their obligations.
Finally, let me congratulate you on your birthday in mid-March. Do you know yet how you will celebrate?
Thank you, that is very kind of you. I tend to see birthdays more as a pleasant opportunity to pause for a moment than as a major event. The greatest joy for me is spending time with my family and loved ones – talking, laughing, and enjoying simple, meaningful moments. That is the best celebration for me.
CV BOX
Alena Schillerová (born March 18, 1964, in Brno) is the minister of finance for the ANO 2011 movement.
She obtained a law degree from the Masaryk University in Brno. She went on to work at the Brno-venkov District Financial Office, later becoming the director.
She served as the deputy minister of finance for taxation and tariffs, starting in 2016. In 2017, she was appointed minister of finance, which was a position she held until the 2021 elections. She has been a vice-chair of ANO 2011 since February 2022.
Following the success in the 2025 elections, she is once again head of the Ministry of Finance.
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