The Czech government entered a crisis on Tuesday after Prime Minister Petr Fiala fired Regional Development Minister Ivan Bartos, leader of the Pirates party. Fiala lost confidence in Bartos’ ability to manage issues with a new digital building permit system and asked the president to dismiss him.
Bartos resigned as the Pirates’ leader following a poor showing in regional elections. His party argued that his dismissal breached their coalition agreement. Despite the prime minister requesting a replacement for Bartos, the Pirates refused, signaling they may leave the government.
Bartos suggested it could be “the end” for the Pirates party in the government, with a formal decision to be made via an online referendum by party members. Despite this, Fiala’s government will still maintain a majority in Parliament’s lower house without the Pirates.
The crisis comes at a critical time as the opposition party, led by former Prime Minister Andrej Babis, gained traction in the recent regional elections, positioning itself strongly ahead of next year’s parliamentary elections.
