I met Minister of Finance, Deputy Prime Minister, and Deputy Chair of the ANO movement Alena Schillerová at the traditional Czech-Slovak Diplomatic Evening organized by the magazines The Business Soirée and Slovenka. Alena Schillerová is a regular guest at this event. As she herself sometimes says, she comes from Brno, so Bratislava is actually closer to her than Prague.
How did you enjoy the event?
I thoroughly enjoyed it. I am delighted that relations between our two countries are returning to the right track. It was a great pity that this had not been the case over the past few years. I am particularly pleased that, after a three-year break, the joint meeting of the Czech and Slovak governments took place again at the end of March. At the Jalta Hotel I met once again with my Slovak counterpart, Ladislav Kamenický, and invited him for an official working visit to Prague. You know, Slovakia continues to be an inspiration for Czechia in tax matters. We drew inspiration from Slovakia, for example, for the Tax Cobra initiative and the VAT Control Statement, and we are now consulting on the introduction of EET 2.0. Slovakia is among the majority of EU countries where some form of electronic sales registration has been operating successfully for years. This mutual cooperation is beneficial for both sides.
The Czech Republic has approved lower social security contributions for the self-employed. Who will benefit the most?
Everyone paying the minimum social security contribution will benefit, whether they are in the first band of the flat-rate tax scheme or paying through the annual settlement. In other words, all those whose contributions the previous government drastically increased three times in a row – by a total of CZK 50,000 per person. We are talking about couriers, hairdressers, seamstresses, cleaners. It created enormous pressure for them to move into the grey economy. We wanted to stop that. The opposition argues that the self-employed will receive lower pensions, as if they needed to be led by the hand. In reality, they are independent people, and I have no doubt that if they consider it appropriate, they will invest the money they save, for example, in our Better Pension Savings scheme.
What do you think of President Petr Pavel’s view that the Czech Republic should adopt the euro because it would give us greater influence in Brussels?
Neither our election manifesto nor the government’s policy statement envisages adopting the euro. On the contrary, we committed ourselves not to adopt it and not to take any steps towards its introduction. As for the influence of individual EU countries, I believe it depends far more on their real economic strength than on the currency they use. It is true that we need allies in order to promote our priorities, but we will not gain them by paying in euros, Czech koruna, or dollars – we will gain them through concrete actions and active diplomacy.
With Jan Švejnar at the National Economic Forum.
Why is the Czech koruna still more advantageous for us?
Economic developments in recent years clearly show that the advantages of having our own currency outweigh those of the euro. Once countries join the eurozone, they lose their independent monetary policy and have greater difficulty dealing with inflation. Had we adopted the euro, inflation in Czechia would have been even higher. Eurozone countries are also negatively affected by the fiscal problems of the the fiscally less responsible EU member states, which has led to declining credit ratings and higher debt-servicing costs. By contrast, Czechia’s credit rating has been steadily improving, partly because we do not have to bear the debt burden of Southern European countries. That is why the eurozone is no longer the elite club it was fifteen years ago. In practice, we have also seen that adopting the euro often leads to a noticeable increase in prices, as happened in Croatia.
On your Facebook page I read that “thanks to three revolutionary advantages, the average Czech saver will have an extra one million koruna for retirement.” How will that work?
From January 2027, our Better Pension Savings scheme will introduce three major changes. As a result, the average client contributing around CZK 1,300 per month will accumulate CZK 1.6 million for retirement – one million more than under the current system. Alternatively, they will receive a twenty-year pension annuity of CZK 8,700 per month, three times more than today. We intend to reduce the outrageously high fees to roughly one quarter of their current level. We are abolishing the mandatory investment questionnaire and making it easier to save through a life-cycle investment strategy, which automatically adjusts investments between conservative and dynamic funds according to the client’s age. Finally, we are making retirement savings much more attractive for children and young people. Until the age of eighteen, everyone will receive a state contribution from deposits of just CZK 100 instead of today’s CZK 500. Until the age of thirty, we will double the maximum state contribution to CZK 640 per month. And anyone who has been saving for at least ten years will be able to withdraw up to one third of their contributions before the age of thirty-six without any penalty – whether for education, housing, travel, or anything else. Supporting retirement savings for children and young people is the most important aspect because the earlier they start saving, the better – even a small monthly contribution makes a difference.
What else is currently keeping your ministry busiest?
We need to complete the legislative process for EET 2.0 and the accompanying tax legislation, which will reduce taxes for families with children and significantly ease the burden on employees, particularly in the hospitality sector. By the end of the year, I also want to secure the adoption of Better Pension Savings, where I expect very strong lobbying pressure, but I have no intention of giving in. We are fully rolling out our platform against undeclared work called KOBRA 26, and it has become clear that several legislative changes will also be needed to ensure it delivers everything we expect. Many further changes are linked to the economic strategy Czechia: Country for the Future 2.0 – more attractive tax depreciation for investment in innovation, startup infrastructure, and a greater number of patents. And, of course, there is the budget, where we must continue finding savings to keep Czechia among the most fiscally responsible countries in the European Union.
With chair of the ANO parliamentary group Taťána Malá.
The summer holidays are here. What were yours like when you were young?
Southern Moravia, meadows, fields, vineyards, traditional folk costumes, folk music – for me, these are not just clichés but the reality in which I grew up and which has left a lasting mark on me. Endless free time flowing slowly, like honey dripping from a spoon.
Will you be spending part of the summer with your grandchildren?
My grandchildren always have a fixed place in my calendar. I do not yet know exactly what we will do this year, but I will certainly devote part of my free time to them with great joy. They are the happiest moments of my life – happiness embodied. I want to enjoy every moment with them before they grow up. I love seeing the world through their eyes and listening to their observations. It is both enriching and calming. I am truly looking forward to it.
The Hope Banknote
At the Opařany Children's Psychiatric Hospital, Alena Schillerová assumed patronage of the Hope Banknote project, organized by the Drop of Hope Foundation and the State Printing Works “The Hope Banknote is an exceptionally inspiring idea and a unique project that connects the world of finance with humanity, hope, and creativity,” she says. “The project draws attention to the increasingly urgent issue of children's and adolescents' mental health. Until the end of June, children hospitalized at the Opařany Children's Psychiatric Hospital will create artistic designs for the symbolic Hope Banknote. This autumn, the final design will be unveiled in a limited edition, and proceeds from its sale will be used to provide tangible support for children and young people in the field of mental health. The result will not only be a work of art but also concrete assistance for those children who need it most.”
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 Masaryk University in Brno. She went on to work at the Brno-venkov District Financial Office, later becoming the director.
She served as Deputy Minister of Finance for Taxation and Customs, 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.
reklama
