OPINION PIECE - On Wednesday 10 July, President Milos Zeman named his government. From the beginning, this government has been nothing else than an instrument to implement Zeman's domestic and foreign agenda. So it is not Prime Minister Jiri Rusnok's government, but definitely President Milos Zeman's government.
This is the first time we have seen something like that in the Czech Republic. It is a fundamental change that took place without the constitution being rewritten, without a formal transition from a parliamentary to a presidential system.
Defying parliament, technocratic government is sworn in
What we have here is a presidential government without support from the lower house, but with absolute support from Zeman, who draws his legitimacy from the 2.7 million votes he received in January's direct presidential election.
So what is really important is not the new government's platform, but rather Milos Zeman's (hidden) platform that will be implemented indirectly by Rusnok and his ministers.
Twenty years ago, the Czech Republic led by then-President Vaclav Havel was characterized by a majority desire to reorient the country away from the East and towards the West. This resulted in the exit of Russian occupation troops and in the joining NATO, EU and other Western institutions. We became a country heading towards the West, or even anchored in the West.
In 2003, Vaclav Havel was replaced by Vaclav Klaus who criticized the West, the USA and the EU. This year, Milos Zeman has become president and formed his own government, against the will of the lower house and all key parliamentary parties but one. It appears that Zeman is aiming to complete the project of reorienting the country back towards the East, a process already started by Klaus. Zeman himself is surrounded by people with close links to Russia.
Look East: Czech presidential vote and Russian business
In his geopolitical efforts, the president can rely on the support of only one major political party - the Communist Party (KSCM). The KSCM is the only pro-Russian party in the lower chamber - all other parties have a pro-Western orientation.
