With significant anticipation before the June elections, MEP for the ODS Jan Zahradil confirmed he would not be pursuing his fifth term on the European stage. However, it seems he is not retiring from public life just yet.
After two decades you have left the European Parliament, where you even ran as the Spitzenkandidat for the presidency of the European Commission for the Conservatives and Reformists Group five years ago. What would you have done with the EU had you succeeded in that election?
My program primarily included a major legislative clean-up at the time, aimed at cutting through the now impenetrable thicket of European laws and regulations. It could still be achieved today, but it would require a slow, systematic effort and a political determination that is currently lacking.
What do you consider your greatest success, the mark you leave on European politics?
Primarily the creation of a new European political family, the European Conservatives. We established it from scratch in 2009, when few believed in its potential. We are now, post-election, the third strongest group in the EP, led by Italian Prime Minister Meloni. On a professional level, opening markets for European exports, negotiating numerous trade agreements, and a focus on Asia.
How did you feel when the British conservatives, the backbone of your group, bid you farewell, and what do you think disappeared with their departure from the European Parliament and the Union?
We prepared for it in advance, but it was still a loss. We adapted, even at the cost of a certain cultural shift. The British represented a civil Anglo-Saxon conservatism, free markets, and a liberal economy. However, today‘s right wing is different from Thatcher‘s. The British conservatives might not like how we do things nowadays.
The European Parliament closed down several weeks ago to allow for the European election campaigns. You embarked on a journey across Asia. What was the purpose of your trip, and why did you choose it?
I attended a conference in Bangkok, visited Hong Kong, and gave lectures at two Chinese universities in Shenzhen and Beijing. In China, I wanted to see firsthand their approach to e-commerce and e-mobility. Their technological advances are fascinating. I‘m not sure if Europe is quite ready to respond adequately.
You‘re not a big fan of the SPOLU coalition. Have you changed your mind after this European election, where SPOLU came much closer to the victorious ANO movement than the polls originally suggested? Was there a cause for celebration?
My opinion remains unchanged. The contours of ODS are dissolving within SPOLU. We bear the costs, others reap the benefits. The European election made it clear: we lost a seat, while TOP09 retained their two. Had we run independently, we would have kept our four seats. TOP09 might have ended up with just one.
From a business trip around Asia.
The media didn‘t fail to notice that you moved from the SPOLU headquarters to the Motorists, who surprisingly became the third strongest group in the European election. Do you see a chance for ODS to collaborate with this group, despite their alliance with the Přísaha party of Robert Šlachta, who was behind the operation that led to the downfall of Prime Minister Petr Nečas?
Turek can either be our ally or our competitor. I prefer the former. As for Šlachta, it‘s been eleven years. In the past, we also allied ourselves with the forces behind the 1997 Sarajevo assassination attempt. But I understand that some may have issues with this.
What are your plans for the coming months and years? Will you stay in politics, enter the business world, or just do nothing and enjoy some peace and quiet?
There‘s no rush. I‘ve prepared a few things in advance – collaborations with foreign think tanks and such. I‘m not planning to get into lobbying. However, I must admit that the moves in the Czech political landscape following the European election are very intriguing. We‘ll see what happens next in ODS and beyond.
The author is a European editor of Deník
CV BOX
Jan Zahradil (born March 20, 1963, in Prague) is an ex-member of the European Parliament, former chairman of the European Conservatives and Reformists party, and erstwhile vice-chair of the ODS.
He graduated from Johannes Kepler Grammar School and the University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague, going on to work as a researcher in water management.
In 1990, Zahradil became a member of Občanské Fórum, joining the ODS a year later. In 1992, he was elected member of the Federal Assembly at the time and later became a member of the Chamber of Deputies, in 1998. In 2002, he ran to become chairman of the ODS but was beaten by Mirek Topolánek. Zahradil was the party‘s vice- chair and later the first vice-chair.
He was an MP until 2004 when he became a member of the European Parliament. In 2009, he founded the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group in the European Parliament and became its vice-chair. In March 2011, he became the chairman. He remained in the post until April 2020 and was then appointed vice-chair once again. He was also the vice-chair of the Committee on International Trade of the European Parliament.
Zahradil is married and has two children. He is an avid music fan, especially of rock music.
