When this interview took place with Deputy Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies and former Minister Karel Havlíček (ANO movement), the outside temperature was nearing thirty degrees. But this summer and the start of autumn promise to be a “hot” season for politicians no matter what the thermometer says. Pensions, healthcare, affordable housing – these and many other issues will certainly come up. Repeatedly. And they came up here too.
You recently attended a Bruce Springsteen concert in Prague. How do you perceive his expressed concerns about democracy and freedom of speech under the current US president and his administration?
Yes, I was at the concert, and Bruce Springsteen was excellent. As for his remarks – that’s his opinion. I went for the music, not a political speech. We have democracy at home, where everyone has the right to say what they want. And besides, expressing political views has always been a part of rock ‘n’ roll.
You’re the chair of the shadow “Better Government” – what should we understand by “better”? Better experts, better results, better communication with citizens...?
All of the above. A better government is, above all, one that offers a real alternative and addresses the actual problems people and businesses face – high energy prices, broken roads, long waits for doctors, and access to housing. Not a government living in a palace bubble, issuing lofty “values-based” declarations. And a government that’s able to communicate with citizens – not look down on them when they disagree.
Andrej Babiš recently introduced part of ANO’s election platform, which includes proposals to increase some government spending. But what about revenue – wouldn’t these measures just increase the national budget deficit?
No – because everything must be built on responsible national budget management. We already proved this when we led the government through the most difficult times – COVID, the energy crisis. And still, we managed to keep the budget under control. The key lies in economic growth – not in cutting costs at any price. And of course, in more effective tax collection and fighting tax evasion. Today’s government chose cuts and an expensive state apparatus – the results are dismal.
Will you really wait until September to release the rest of your platform, so that journalists don’t pick it apart?
It’s not about being afraid of journalists. But nowadays, even serious discussions are often reduced to catchy headlines and oversimplified labels. We want to present the full platform to citizens clearly, in a structured way, at a time when there’s room for it – not have every point dissected out of context.
ANO is known as a “catch-all” party. Isn’t such a wide ideological span sometimes a disadvantage?
Quite the opposite – it’s our strength. We’re a movement that knows how to connect people across professions, regions, and viewpoints. In today’s deeply divided society, that’s a plus. We don’t want to live in an ideological bubble – we want to talk to the whole of society.
A hot topic is pension reform, including the much-discussed retirement age cap proposed by ANO. How do you plan to ensure the system remains sustainable?
We can’t assume that people will still be employable at an advanced age thirty years from now. Capping the retirement age doesn’t mean ignoring demographics. We’ll need to encourage people to work longer voluntarily – if they want to. We must reform the funding system – strengthen contributions, look for new sources – but not by forcing people to work endlessly. Retirement is a reward for a lifetime of work, not something to dread.
The need for reform doesn’t concern only the pension system, but also healthcare, for example. What is preventing a discussion from being opened and a suitable solution from being sought to ensure the sustainability of these systems across parliamentary political parties?
Unfortunately, today’s coalition has zero interest in reaching consensus. The pension “reform” they pushed through was not the result of any agreement. It’s the same in healthcare – wait times are getting longer, there’s a lack of investment, the system is riddled with lobbying, and preventive care is missing. We’re always ready to talk, but only if it’s not just about ideological mantras, but about concrete data and sustainable systems.
Housing and the streamlining of building permit processes have also become key election topics. Does that mean developers might see less red tape? And what role would digitalization play under ANO?
That’s exactly what we’re aiming for. If we want more affordable housing, we need to simplify and speed up the entire permitting process. Today it takes years. Digitalization and a functional construction act are key. We drafted key legislation while in office – the current government delayed it. We’ll finish it – and more importantly, implement it.
In one interview, you said that being a politician at a certain level is a form of sacrifice. How would you describe what politics means to you – a craft, a profession, a calling...?
It’s a mix of a craft and a profession. I like tangible work – numbers, data, results. Politics is often about emotions and promises. I try to make it about results. Serving the people should be a calling – and if you do it honestly, it is a personal sacrifice in terms of time and privacy. But it’s a conscious choice.
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.
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