The Minister of Culture should be the political veteran Lubomír Zaorálek

Prague - A political veteran Lubomír Zaorálek (both ČSSD) is likely to replace the newcomer in high politics, Michal Šmarda, the candidate for minister rejected by the president. The former foreign minister has been nominated for the minority government of ANO and ČSSD supported by the Communists, announced the chairman of the social democrats Jan Hamáček today. Both Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) and President Miloš Zeman agree with the selection. After the official proposal is presented by the Prime Minister, he plans to meet with Zaorálek. "The appointment will follow as minister. We are now looking for dates," said the spokesman of the Castle Jiří Ovčáček.

By the end of the summer, the dispute between Zeman and the Social Democrats over the change at the Ministry of Culture, which began in mid-May when the former minister Antonín Staněk (ČSSD) resigned, could come to an end. At that time, Zeman did not accept the resignation. Babiš then proposed to Zeman the dismissal of Staňka and the appointment of Šmarda at the request of the ČSSD. After numerous negotiations with the coalition parties, Zeman dismissed Staňka at the end of July, but announced last week that he did not consider Šmarda competent to lead the ministry. Šmarda resigned from the nomination on Monday after even the Prime Minister questioned his qualifications. The disputes accompanied the debates about the constitutionality of the president's behavior.

Zaorálek explained the change in his stance toward participating in his rival's cabinet by the "intolerability" of the situation, which he believes has led to the paralysis of the government and the ministry. He had previously refused a place in Babiš's minority government. He views the nomination as an opportunity to defend the general agenda of the ČSSD within the government. "I am going into the government with an agenda that is close to me," he stated, adding that a minister has an influence on the government's decision-making even in matters not directly related to his department. "There are topics today that I think are strong, key, and I would like them to be voiced more clearly by the social democratic ministers than before. The incredibly important defense of the public sector, public services. So that everything does not dissolve in the cold water of money," he said.

Hamáček believes there will be no problem with the appointment of a new candidate. "He is an experienced politician, a successful chairman of the Chamber of Deputies, a successful foreign minister. I am convinced that he will manage the Ministry of Culture. His task will be to stabilize the ministry after a long time of uncertainty about its direction," Hamáček stated at a press conference regarding Zaorálek's nomination. According to Hamáček, Zaorálek agreed to the offer because he understood that if the Social Democrats have already tied their future to Babiš's government, everything must be done to succeed.

In response to speculation about Zaorálek's nomination, Babiš told journalists that he had had "different exchanges of views" with the former foreign minister in the past, but he has no problem with him in principle.

The nomination of Zaorálek, who is seen by the chairman of the KSČM Vojtěch Filip as a connection between the relationship to culture and managerial skills, is approved by the Communists. According to the Pirates, TOP 09, and Christian Democrats, it is unclear what competencies Zaorálek has in culture. The SPD directly labeled the nomination as unacceptable. ODS hopes that this proposal will end the dispute over the leadership of the Ministry of Culture. People from the cultural community mostly welcome Zaorálek's nomination as a professional politician. They appreciate his many years of experience and also the positions he has held in foreign policy.

If Zaorálek becomes a minister, a change in the composition of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Chamber, which he currently chairs, is also expected.