She spent four years as the minister of regional development, but the ANO 2011 Movement faced defeat in the 2021 election and was relegated to the opposition. Klára Dostálová is currently the deputy speaker of the Chamber and number one on the ANO European Parliament election ticket.
Your chairman Andrej Babiš is often critical of the European Union, even more so of the European Parliament. Why should your voters vote in the European election? Why is it important in your opinion?
I can say without hyperbole that there has never been a more important European election. Because Europe has changed – the decisions are being made by officials in Brussels, common sense has been replaced by ideology, and open borders are a threat to security. As a proud Czech person, I say that there is no sensible alternative to our membership in the European Union. But we must accept that the current EU needs fundamental reform and a shift in policy. First and foremost, we must get rid of social engineers and green lunatics who have Europe essentially under control, of those who are naive enough to think that they are saving the world by allowing Europe to sacrifice its sovereignty, prosperity, and security. That's why it's important to go vote in the European election and slam on the brakes, to ensure that we're not heading for trouble at an even faster pace than we have been.
How do you plan to leverage your work as minister of regional development should you be elected?
The truth is that I have a vast amount of experience from the executive work as minister of regional development. In other words, it's fair to say that I know what's what. And that is an absolutely essential qualification. I know the ins and outs of Czech and European legislation, I know the processes used to implement it, I know the strong and the weak spots, when it's a good time to push and when to ease off. Having that experience from the executive, the government, from meetings between European ministers, experience with how European regulation is incorporated into the Czech environment, is essential. The devil, as we all know, tends to be in the detail, which is why one needs to know this area in excruciating detail, not just on a surface level.
There has been a lot of talk about the need to revise the EU's Green Deal, which is swiftly leading the Union towards a zero-emissions future. Wouldn't it be better to just shut it down completely after the election?
In all honesty, it would probably be for the best, but there's no practical way of doing that. Too much money and effort has been invested in it that cannot go to waste. But it needs to be dissected and revised. Swiftly and decisively. The Green Deal must be changed fundamentally is the short of it. If we don't do so, Europe will lose its ability to compete with the rest of the world, we will quickly start losing jobs, and the economy will falter as well. There is a sensible way to protect the environment.
What other topics will be key in the European election?
Migration, the Green Deal, and sovereignty. Those are the three key topics. That's why I and other ANO candidates running for the European Parliament will be fighting to protect the veto. To us, it's indisputable. There is no sovereignty without veto, and I am flabbergasted by the willingness of STAN, the Pirates, and even nearly the entire SPOLU coalition to give it up. We need to have the opportunity to say “This is NOT the way”. Giving something like that up is just not a possibility. Politics is very much about negotiating and compromise. But you need to have at least some weight to throw around.
The number of Czech citizens has grown to nearly 11 million due to migration. Should Czechia support legal labor migration to the Union?
Yes, why not? The industrialists keep saying that they don't have enough people. But we absolutely must stop the Migration Pact because it's just migration quotas in disguise. I am resolutely against such quotas because we must be the ones to decide who gets to live in our country. What's more, we've shown the rest of Europe that we know how to help by giving refuge to hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians. But I'm really not in favor of compulsory solidarity. Controlled labor migration is another thing entirely, though.
The European Union has been providing significant support to Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression. Should this support be maintained going forward, up until the point when Russian invaders leave all Ukrainian territories?
Yes, that would be perfect. But the world we live in just isn't perfect. Not even the most optimistic people consider something like that a possibility. I do want to support Ukraine, of course. But I would also like for peace negotiations to start while the support is being provided.
With fellow party members Alena Schillerová and Jana Mračková Vildumetzová.
In the next EU budgetary period, Czechia will become a net payer into the Union budget. Will our membership still make sense even so?
Yes, definitely. I have tons of objections against the EU and a plethora of ideas and plans on how to change things. But leaving is pure nonsense and an economic suicide. The European Union isn't just about distributing funding. It's about finding a common path in today's tumultuous world, which is certainly beneficial for all of its members. We must reform the Union, that much is clear. But we mustn't leave it.
Does ANO want to remain in the liberal group in the European Parliament after the election, and if so, why?
I consider myself to be liberal. And I am certain that the ANO Movement lives by liberal values as well. Therefore, I would consider it logical for us to remain part of the liberal group in this configuration.
What are you most looking forward to in your new role as MEP, and what are you most worried about? Aren't you anxious about the constant travel between Prague, Brussels, and Strasbourg?
I'm used to traveling. It's not that big of an issue. What's more, my kids are grown up now and my family supports me, which is naturally very important for me. I'm looking forward to moving up professionally and putting the experience I've gained in Czechia to good use for the benefit of our country in the EU. That's where a good 70% of the legislation that eventually gets implemented into the Czech legal code is created. I will have the opportunity to influence laws, regulations, and directives at the very moment they are formed. And I am very much looking forward to that. I am worried about whether the EU will be receptive to our reform efforts, whether it will be capable of self-reflection. Despite all my reservations, I still consider the EU to be the best way forward for Czechia and I would like to help bring it back to the ideals upon which it was formed. The ANO Movement has a completely different approach to the EU than Fiala's government and the coalition parties. We are in no way going to mindlessly agree with everything that comes out of Brussels; we will be fighting hard for Czech national interests. We'll be in Czechia's corner in the EU, or my name isn't Klára Dostálová!
The author is a European editor of Deník
CV BOX
Klára Dostálová (born March 13, 1971, in Prague) is an MP for the ANO 2011 movement and deputy speaker of the Chamber of Deputies.
Following her studies at PUEB, she worked at the Czech Savings Bank, Stavokomplex CZ a.s., as well as Hotel Černigov. She came into her own as director of the Center for European Planning in Hradec Králové, which she led successfully for many years (together with her colleagues, she played a major part in revitalizing the Kuks municipality).
In the years 2014–2017, she was the deputy minister of regional development, later taking over the ministry and leading it herself until 2021. The new Construction Act was her flagship project at the ministry and ultimately received the Law of the Year award. While working as a minister, she was also the chair of the Czech Mountain Rescue board of directors.
She has been an MP for the ANO Movement since October 2017 and a member of the Hradec Králové Regional Assembly since the autumn of 2020.
Dostálová is married and has two children and a grandson, she lives in Hořice near Jičín.
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