Alongside Andrej Babiš and Alena Schillerová, Karel Havlíček is undoubtedly one of the three most prominent figures of the ANO 2011 movement, serving as the leader of the so-called Better Government of ANO. And while our conversation touched on Donald Trump’s assertive rise to power, the discussion primarily revolved around the health of the Czech Republic.
What do you expect from Donald Trump’s inauguration as president from the Czech Republic‘s perspective? Do you see more advantages or challenges? And how should those challenges be addressed?
I somewhat anticipated his aggressive assumption of the office. When we met with him alongside Andrej Babiš in 2019, I realized he is someone who relentlessly pursues his goals and is highly pragmatic. At the same time, and I want to emphasize this, when he faces an equal counterpart, he listens to rational arguments and is willing to change his mind. That, in my view, is the key takeaway for the Czech Republic. If he sees us as an equal partner, it presents a tremendous opportunity for our country.
The Czech Republic is the only Central European country managing to reduce its public finance deficit. From your perspective as an opposition figure, is this something worthy of recognition? And if you take over the government after the election, will you work to reduce the deficit even faster than Petr Fiala‘s administration?
First, we need to acknowledge that this government has put Czechia into the highest absolute debt of any administration. And to be fair, we also need to add the hundreds of billions in future liabilities created through various purchases and promises. I wouldn’t even hold that against them if they were simultaneously working on revenues – specifically, how to ensure GDP growth. But they aren’t, and we are in a situation where GDP growth is significantly lower than inflation. We want to return to what works and benefits businesses, employees, and the state – economic growth. Without it, any discussion about further deficit reduction is just deepening the self-delusion that Petr Fiala’s government has succumbed to.
Many economists and journalists argue that reinstating the super-gross wage tax system would significantly improve the state budget. Why do neither you nor the ruling ODS want to consider it?
Such ideas seem completely off-base to me. Czechia already has one of the highest labor tax burdens among OECD countries, so it is utterly absurd to consider taking even more from people’s wages.
Poland is often cited as an example of economic development. As an economist, do you see Poland as a model for Czechia? If so, in what aspects?
Poland can certainly serve as an inspiration, particularly in supporting business and defending its people’s interests within the EU. It is striking that disagreement with certain EU positions there is not immediately labeled as betrayal or an attempt to shift eastward. Instead, rational debate often leads to them successfully advocating for their interests. We saw a clear example of this during the appointment of European Commissioners. Unlike the Czech Republic, which ended up with an insignificant position, Poland secured the role of European Commissioner for Budget and Administration.
Prime Minister Petr Fiala made a widely criticized statement that if he remains prime minister for another four years, Czech wages will catch up with German wages. If ANO leads the government, will Czech wages reach German levels? And how long would it take?
This perfectly illustrates how completely disconnected Petr Fiala is. It’s not just about how much we earn but about what we can buy with our wages. What matters is purchasing power and standard of living. And here, it is essential to note that throughout Petr Fiala’s three years in office, Czech people‘s standard of living has declined more than in almost any other EU country. That is one of the actual results of this government’s work.
As deputy speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, why isn‘t there any drive to amend the rules of procedure to eliminate multi-day filibusters that significantly slow down the legislative process? Do you enjoy such situations, or do you see them as a pointless waste of time and energy?
I find this topic amusing. Democracy includes the exchange of opinions and even heated disputes, sometimes even filibustering. There’s nothing wrong with that – it’s the norm in all democratic countries. On the contrary, I would find it alarming if the Chamber of Deputies passed everything with 100% support after a ten-minute discussion. Filibustering and lengthy speeches also signal to the public that the current government refuses to engage with the opposition. I acknowledge that they have the right to do so, but they must also accept that we disagree and will make it known.
If the polls turn out to be true, the ANO movement will be leading Czechia come autumn. That must be the first major economic steps to kick-start the Czech economy?
I take all surveys with a grain of salt. Polls don’t decide – election results do. However, as the shadow prime minister of the Better Government, I want our shadow ministers to be ready to take responsibility and implement concrete measures if we succeed in the election. The current government has dragged us into a mess, and we must put an end to it. I reject excuses about circumstances beyond our control. Looking at Poland, its GDP growth is exponentially higher than ours. This clearly shows that Petr Fiala’s excuses for why Czechia is stagnating are false – other countries are managing economic growth just fine.
The author is the European editor of Deník.
CV BOX
Karel Havlíček (born August 16, 1969, in České Budějovice) is an MP, deputy speaker of the Chamber, and first vice-chair of the ANO movement.
He graduated in building engineering from the Faculty of Civil Engineering at CTU Prague, earning a Master of Engineering degree. In 1998, he earned his MBA from the PIBS accredited by Manchester Metropolitan University. He finished his PhD in economy and management in 2004 at the Faculty of Business Administration at PUEB, where he also became an associate professor at the Faculty of Finance in 2014.
In 2019, he was appointed minister of industry and trade while also becoming the economic secretary and a year later, the minister of transportation.
He had only joined the ANO movement as a member in 2021; he was elected the first vice- chair in February 2023 while also becoming the prime minister of the shadow cabinet. He was further elected deputy speaker of the Chamber the same month.
Havlíček is married, he has two children. He speaks English, German, and Russian, and partially Spanish, French, and Chinese. He is an avid fan of rock and folk music.
