Taťána Malá defended her seat in the parliamentary elections and was elected chair of the ANO 2011 parliamentary group. She is looking forward to the introduction of the child certificate, which she helped create, and she wants to adopt a stricter approach to parents who fail to pay child support.
How did you react to the election results in the South Moravian Region, where you ran?
I was delighted that we managed to defeat SPOLU. That was the main thing for me, because both ODS chairman and Prime Minister Petr Fiala and Health Minister Vlastimil Válek of TOP 09 were running there. And I would be lying if I said it didn’t genuinely make me happy.
You yourself received a significant number of votes. What do you make of that?
Well, you should probably ask the people who voted for me. I remember that one of our colleagues always responded to these questions by saying, “Coca-Cola won’t give you the recipe for success either.” But seriously – the campaign mattered, and so did the fact that people knew me because I’m constantly present in the region. I’m not one of those MPs who move to Prague after being elected and stay there. I’d like to think that people know me because I have clear results to show for my work. I managed to push through the child certificate, and I’ve long spoken out against discrimination targeting minorities, seniors, and single parents.
What are your priorities for your next term in the Chamber of Deputies?
I never promise anything I’m not able to deliver. We ran on the slogan that things will be better again – and that is exactly what I want to work toward. I talk to people and I know how hard life is for many of them: how hard it is to make ends meet or even find a doctor. And I could go on and on listing what troubles people. These things, in my view, must change.
You have replaced Alena Schillerová as chair of the ANO parliamentary group. How are you adjusting to the new role?
A commentator recently told me that I’m actually the ideal person for the job – because if I can handle raising three children on my own, then seventy-nine MPs shouldn’t throw me off balance. He may have had a point. [laughs]
A good comparison – but still, has the responsibility hit you?
I’m fully aware of how challenging my role is, because I am following in the footsteps of two strong personalities who led our group – Jaroslav Faltýnek and Alena Schillerová. Each of them had their own style, and I have mine. It means I need to reset a number of things and set them up partly in my own way. Our situation has also changed compared to the previous term: we are moving from opposition to a governing majority. I already know the direction I want to take. I have to manage real personalities, each with their own expectations and – above all – their own plans for parliamentary work. What matters to me is improving the way parliament functions so that we show we can be constructive and, most importantly, useful for people. So yes, I am very aware of the responsibility.
What falls under the responsibilities and powers of the chair of a parliamentary group?
To put it plainly, it is my job to ensure that all our MPs are present for key votes. I must be able to coordinate with other parliamentary groups so that the Chamber functions smoothly. That, in my view, will be the most important part of my work.
You take a firm stance on crimes against children and you advocate for the introduction of the so-called child certificate. What exactly does it involve?
The child certificate is a new legal instrument designed to prevent people convicted of serious crimes against children from working or volunteering in roles where they come into contact with children. The certificate will not be a standard extract from the Criminal Register, but a separate record maintained within the Register database, which will be required, for example, for employment, volunteer work, or business activities in fields involving children. The child certificate already passed during the previous term. Now we are waiting for it to enter into force. I also want to adopt a stricter approach to parents who fail to pay child support – while the ODS-led government actually chose to loosen the rules instead. I find it absurd that ODS agreed to a system in which non-paying parents essentially take children hostage. It is absolutely unacceptable for children to suffer because of disputes between parents. It is also necessary to address tougher penalties for domestic violence, and I have two additional issues in the works.
Can you share more about those?
The first is the mental health of the population, particularly young people. The COVID pandemic and then the fearmongering about war started by the government of Petr Fiala have naturally taken a toll on people’s mental state. Mental health is a major issue – people may not talk about it, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t real. A recent article in the German weekly Zeit described how COVID altered behavior in society. Young people have forgotten how to engage with others. Relationships have changed, and people now spend far more time on social media and the internet. I don't see society turning inward as a good sign.
And the second topic?
It is closely related – addiction to social media and mobile phones. Let me be clear: I’m not talking about bans, but about starting a serious discussion on how social media is reshaping our view of the world. Here is one example directly from my family: I was genuinely pleased when my son told me that students at his school collectively decided to ban mobile phones because they concluded it was disrupting their relationships.
The Chamber is quite hectic, and on top of that there is the holiday rush. How are you managing?
I love Christmas – and I don’t even mind the holiday rush. In fact, I see it as something that naturally belongs to the season. Of course, I may complain a little when I’m cleaning, but deep down I enjoy it, because I know the reward will be time spent with my family. I love it when the house is full, the tree smells wonderful, the girls bring their partners, my son keeps everyone entertained, and our two dogs and cat weave through the festivities. I think you have to grow up a little to appreciate moments like these. These are the memories that stay with you – not the expensive gifts, but the moments when we can simply be together.
CV BOX
Taťána Malá (born on October 1, 1981, in Moravská Třebová) is an MP, chair of the ANO 2011 parliamentary group, a member of the South Moravian Regional Assembly, and newly serves as a full-time regional councillor responsible for communication between the region, the government, and central authorities.
She studied agricultural engineering at the Faculty of Agronomy at Mendel University in Brno and later earned a law degree from the Pan-European University in Bratislava.
She has worked as a lawyer and mediator and taught externally at the Faculty of Business and Management at the Brno University of Technology.
She joined ANO in 2013 and became chair of the movement's South Moravian branch three years later. In the 2014 municipal elections in Lelekovice she became an assembly member. In 2016 she became deputy governor for property and finance. She was elected to the Chamber of Deputies in 2017 and defended her seat in 2021 and 2025.
She was briefly Minister of Justice in 2018.
She is divorced and has three children – Apolena (23), Justýna (19), and Oliver (13). She lives in Lelekovice and enjoys skiing, golf, and reading.
ad
