Interviews

Alena Schillerová: Our economic strategy is built on supporting entrepreneurship

Publikováno: 29. 9. 2025
Autor: Šárka Jansová
Foto: archives of Alena Schillerová
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The last time I met Alena Schillerová, shadow minister of finance for the ANO movement, was in late spring at the Czecho-Slovak Diplomatic Evening, organized by The Business Soirée. That was still a calm period, with plenty of time left before the parliamentary elections. Now we met again just ahead of the final pre-election push.

How did you enjoy the Czecho-Slovak evening?
The more events like this, the better! Our two nations are the closest of neighbors, connected not just by history but above all by family and friendship ties, and we should nurture that relationship. I even had the chance to speak at the event and reminded everyone that from my hometown of Brno it’s closer to Bratislava than to Prague. I’ve always felt a special closeness to the Slovak nation, so I truly enjoyed the event. I was especially impressed by the artist Oscar Eagle, who draws much inspiration from Andy Warhol. The whole cultural program was very original, and there was always someone interesting to talk to, so I had a great time. I also had the chance to get to know Slovakia’s new ambassador to the Czech Republic, Martin Muránsky. As shadow minister of finance, I was pleased by his strong focus on foreign trade and investment – issues with a clear economic and budgetary impact. We spoke about how, if ANO were in government, we would once again restore  intergovernmental relations to the highest level, as they had been until not so long ago. I also enjoyed meeting our last joint Miss, Silvia Lakatošová, along with her husband, Peter Závodský from your magazine, and many other inspiring personalities. I’m already looking forward to the next meeting – if I’m invited again, of course.

 

Summer is slowly coming to an end, and it must have been different for you this year. How did you spend it?
I traveled a lot, especially across South Moravia. If you’re asking people to trust you in elections, you need to know their problems and talk to them. Social media can’t replace that, and you can’t make up for it just two months before the elections. So my summer was all about meeting with citizens – but also about opposition work. Our shadow government met throughout July, and we picked up again at the end of August. Still, I managed to set aside a few days for the people dearest to me – my three grandchildren. A grandmother’s weekend, when I have them all to myself, is the greatest joy for me. I even had my eldest grandson František with me in Prague for a weekend, and together we brushed up on history while visiting Prague’s landmarks.



 

On your travels to meet with citizens, was there any particular place where meeting people left a deep impression on you?
Velehrad always makes a strong impression on me. Whenever I go there, I feel a special calm and strength, as if you could breathe in a different kind of air. That blend of faith, history, and the beauty of the Moravian landscape always gives me a sense of belonging and gratitude – that we have such a place to return to and draw new energy from. This year I even had the honor of reading a prayer for the nation at the Days of Goodwill. It was an unforgettable experience.

 

Do you have a personal motto for this election year?
One of my favorite quotes is often attributed to Voltaire: “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” As a politician, I find this very close to my heart because it offers a reminder to step back from the endless disagreements and conflicts of opinion we all encounter. We may disagree on economic policy, foreign affairs, or social issues, but above all stands respect for democracy and freedom of speech. That is the fundamental value we cannot compromise on.

 

In the pre-election period, ANO has been talking about lowering taxes, cutting energy fees, reducing the retirement age, raising pensions, and making housing more affordable. Are all these things really achievable?
We don’t promise miracles. Our advantage is that we already have experience in government and a proven track record. We’ve shown that by tackling the gray economy, tax evasion, and fraud, we can lower taxes while still increasing overall revenues. The same logic applies to energy prices and their impact on GDP. Under the current government, energy prices have soared, and that has contributed to economic stagnation. Every one percent of lost economic growth means at least twenty billion crowns missing annually on the revenue side. Without exaggeration, Fiala’s government has cost us hundreds of billions of crowns through its inaction and counterproductive policies – money that could have gone to more affordable housing or fair pension indexation.



 

And what about your stance on the large group of self-employed?
Our economic strategy is built on supporting entrepreneurship, including the self-employed, who must be a key driver of growth. Just as we supported them through the introduction of the flat tax, COVID aid, tax cuts, and raising the VAT registration threshold, we have a plan through 2030. We will stop further increases in social contributions for the self-employed, which the current government has scheduled for January 1, 2026. They will also benefit from competitive electricity prices, which will help kick-start the economy as a whole. And we will certainly not allow our economy to be strangled by ETS 2 emission allowances, which would once again fuel inflation and raise the price of everything. Unlike Fiala’s government, we have no intention of giving up this fight. And that’s just the beginning.

 

Will you bring back electronic sales registration (EET)? And if so, in what form?

In ANO we are convinced that ensuring proper tax collection, contributions, and a level playing field for businesses is one of the duties of a developed state. That’s why introducing a modern form of EET is one of the pillars of our program. We want to remove the obligation to print receipts, eliminate the need for permanent online connection, and ensure that nobody has to pay a single crown for it. If you have a cash register, you can use that. If you have a smartphone, you can download an authorized app for free. We will learn from all the criticism of the first version of EET. Our ambition is to replace exceptions with the simplest, most intuitive system possible – one that benefits entrepreneurs, for example through lower taxes and the removal of unfair competition. I can reveal that in one of our working versions we are even analyzing the option of direct annual tax rebates for everyone who records their revenues properly. I would remind you that according to studies by the most-cited Czech economist Tomáš Havránek, EET boosted GDP by 2–3 percent, and its cancellation deprived us of that output and the related tax revenue. Moreover, sales registration naturally has positive effects on the business environment, company competitiveness, entrepreneurs’ creditworthiness, employees’ pensions, their access to mortgages, wage levels, and even curbing abuse of social benefits.

 

 

CV BOX
Alena Schillerová (born March 18, 1964, in Brno) is an MP for the ANO 2011 movement and former minister of finance.
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 was the special 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 last year's election, since which she has been an MP. She is also the vice-chair of the ANO 2011 movement as of this February.

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