How to Benefit from CEZ as Fiala Proposes Allocation for Highways and Weapons – Opposed by the Nobility Calling for the Return of State Funds to the People

The debate is still taking place around CEZ’s record profit, when the Czech Republic will receive approximately 100 billion crowns from CEZ this year. Every crown from this amount will be used for the benefit of citizens and companies. At least that’s what we hear from the government coalition of five. What do you think?

CEZ’s profit has been discussed since autumn. I am missing from the government coalition to say what will actually happen with the profits? It is unacceptable that Chairman Fiala said that the money will be used for highways and defense funding. In these moments when people are waiting for their utility bills? The money received by ČEZ does not belong to the state. They are citizens! They went to the state only because the energies rose unacceptably. For me, this is a complete lack of communication on the part of the government. During the time that utilities and reserves started to rise, they sometimes rose as much as 350 percent. That money does not belong to the state! It belongs to the citizens!

On the social network, Prime Minister Petr Fiala, as you say, declared that “thanks to the extraordinary income, we can also make record investments in the construction of roads and highways or increase defense spending.” But at the same time, he assured that a large part of the money will go to help with high energy prices…

No. After all, the money received by ČEZ does not belong to the state. It belongs to the citizens. They should be given to them in difficult times. We take money out of people’s wallets, we have 69 percent in ČEZ, but the minority owners still dictate. They should return the money to those citizens from whose pockets they took it. We all know what autumn looked like. Everyone was afraid of how much gas would cost, some took out loans to pay for energy. For me, the information that the money will go to highways is completely unacceptable. After all, they are talking about the fact that they will raise the price of the highway stamp! This is money that should be directed to improving the quality of communications.

And your solution?

ČEZ’s profit to be distributed to people from whose pockets money for energy was taken, and to the socially weak. Do not even think about the fact that they would go to the state and for defense. It’s insulting. Then when you see the opinions in society, do you see the scissors opening and what is the mood? This is exactly what contributes to it.

Regarding the valorization of pensions. The Prime Minister said on the social network that “we do not make politics for momentary applause, but one that serves our country and its development in the long term.” People expressed themselves in the sense that they are proud of him… You are probably not very proud of the prime minister and the coalition of five, are you?

(Smile). We all know the state of the budget after Babiš. We know he will have to save. Pension reform is behind all governments. We’ve heard about her a hundred times. But that someone would come up with a solution when the coalition agrees with the opposition? You know how the second pillar was abolished. A new government will come in and then cancel the proposals. It is pointless for citizens. I am responsible, everyone knew that the valorization of pensions would be a problem, but they should have communicated about it with the citizens earlier. Not that they will abuse the legislative emergency. The execution is absolutely insane. Now in a state of legislative emergency to approach such a change? They were supposed to get involved when Jurečka prepared the pension reform in cooperation with the opposition. But do not extract just one parameter separately.

And President Pavel? When he says with one voice that he will sign the amendment, but at the same time knows that the norm would not have to pass the Constitutional Court? Totally unacceptable. So I’m going to sign something that I’m not sure won’t be overturned by the Constitutional Court? Saving yes, but at the same time communicating with citizens. I would be in favor of the law not passing. It is just an abuse of the state of legislative emergency, it was not communicated with the citizens and it only leads to social disruption.

Do you think that the president has shifted responsibility to the Constitutional Court?

Think how bizarre it is. I am criticized for not being at the election. I didn’t go to vote for either Babiš or Pavel. With Pavel, I lacked an explanation of how he would approach the government and its experiments. Right now it has come to the point where he says he will sign the bill, but he has doubts about it. This is absolutely insane. We’re going back to how we’re supposed to uphold the Constitution.

Some took his action as an elegant compromise towards the coalition and the opposition, right?

It’s not a compromise for me. If I know how the standard was created? He should have made it clear to the government that the constitution and the law will not be bent. He blew the chance when he said he would be everyone’s president and dig ditches. He missed the chance big time.

Hundreds of people have left state institutions and businesses since Petr Fiala’s government took office. To date, 325 positions in the state administration have been abolished. The government has a reduction in the number of civil servants in its program statement. The analysis was supposed to be completed by the end of last year, but on Wednesday the government announced a shift by one year, i.e. to the end of 2023. What do you think?

So far, the government’s measures reach citizens who can be taken in the simplest way. We will take money from pensioners, abolish construction savings, adjust taxes, raise the payment for highway stamps… But in the program statement they had, for example, a reduction in the number of civil servants by 13 percent. The places they say they cut are table vacancies. This is no reduction. If we are to reduce, we have to do an audit. I worked in the civil service for thirty years. If you ask any official, they are so overworked that they would need at least one more person to help them. I would invite the ministers and say: you will get ten percent less budget for your ministries and it is up to you if you keep the same number for less money, or you will have fewer employees who will have more money and make the work more efficient. Nowadays, everyone has a lot, is overloaded and is indispensable.

Vít Rakušan came from a completely different field. He has an advisor because he can’t do it himself.

We should first start with the state in savings.

Speaking of the Austrian minister, he mentioned some time ago that, on the contrary, it would be necessary to strengthen the department of asylum and migration policy as a result of what happened in connection with the war in Ukraine…

Yes, but the Ministry of the Interior has so many agendas… At least I wouldn’t be afraid to reach 500 or 600 table positions. Of course, the department of asylum migration policy will need to be strengthened. But above all, the Austrian minister should reduce the administration of the police. Police officers are probably 50 percent of the time with papers and 50 percent in the field. If someone doesn’t do something and kick them out? Legislative changes are needed for this.

As good governance, the coalition of five states that they abolished the road tax for cars and vans as support for small and medium-sized businesses. And importantly, they also abolished the EET. That’s good news, isn’t it?

Road taxes certainly only helped small entrepreneurs and I don’t think it would be a major support for them. I would have expected more help when fuel prices started. In my opinion, the EET should not have been abolished, only the Babiš government signed off on it. I was working at customs when they were rolling it out and I saw the bullying of business people that led to it becoming a campaign issue. In the first months of covid, EET Babiš stopped and we could use EET for compensation. Do you know how many cases there have been of entrepreneurs making things up? The EET was to remain, but not in a forced manner, and to serve to straighten out the business environment. If it wasn’t bullying, everyone would get used to it over time.

The government promises to present a so-called consolidation package soon, with which it tries to at least partially mitigate the decay of state finances. On the revenue side, an increase in property tax should also be in play. What do you expect?

I’m really looking forward to that package. So far we only hear some gunshots from the coalition of five. We unfortunately have low property taxes, but we have a highly taxed job. This has persisted since the communist era. When we reach property, then let’s change the taxation of labor. I go to debates with citizens, and in small towns it is one of the things that arouses emotions. People are waiting to see how much it will be. When they pay, for example, 4 thousand and then their tax increases several times? It will be too much for them.

What to say in conclusion?

I really miss the fact that the state should first show how it can save money when the citizens want it.
And another important thing that has completely stopped being talked about. Large companies not at all in the Czech Republic. If financiers should get involved, then in this area, that when the mother is abroad and has a small subsidiary company here, money is diverted abroad. The state should protect this. There are still tax havens. The state wastes money, one case follows another, and this bothers people.

Everyone promised how they would save, and when I look at the pre-election program, everything fell into place. If I want to save somewhere, I have to take a tree marker and mark the ones to be cut down. Just go around the offices and draw a cross on every other one. That state is so bloated! Businessmen say that they don’t mind paying high taxes, but they do mind that the state doesn’t work. How many years have we been talking about welfare abuse? I would be tough, every minister should have at least a ten percent lower budget and if they can’t cope with it? Then let him not be a minister. First, they should start with themselves, save at the state, at the ministries, and only then ask for something from the citizens.

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