Prague - President Václav Klaus started his first day of his second tenure with Czech public TV. In a morning show called Dobré ráno (Good morning) Klaus said he would not block re-admission of the head of Christian Democrats Jiří Čunek to the cabinet.
"Should I decide to block Mr. Čunek´s comeback, it would not be going against Mr. Čunek but actually against the Prime Minister Topolánek," said Klaus who said it was up to PM to handle the issue and its consequences.
President Klaus also pointed out that he had appointed people in the past that he was opposed to.
In/famous cases
One of the most medialized cases of Klaus´s disagreements was when Klaus strongly objected to appointing now Minister of Foreign Affairs Karel Schwarzenberg who was nominated by the Green Party. President Klaus eventually apologised and admitted his reaction was rather hasty.
President Klaus was not in favor of appointing Minister of Education Ondřej Liška either, having commented on his young age (30) and lack of experience.
Klaus´s refusal to offer a symbolic glass of champagne to former Minister of Health David Rath (Social Democrats) was the most telling demonstration of his objections to then newly appointed minister.
On the day of presidential election, PM Mirek Topolánek promised to Mr. Čunek he would take him back. But Topolánek stressed it would require the Christian Democrats and the Greens ironing out their differences on Mr. Čunek´s return to the cabinet.
Greens´ opposition to Čunek
The Greens, strongly opposed to Mr. Čunek´s return, find some of his remarks on the Roma community in poor taste.
Should the ex-Minister of Local Development return to the cabinet, the Greens, including Foreign Affairs Minister Karel Schwarzenberg, would resign, they warned, which would most likely result in the fall of the government.
Jiří Čunek resigned in November last year, being accused of several corruption scandals. Mr Schwarzenberg made it clear he is not ready to sit at the same table with someone who cannot prove his innocence in the corruption allegations.
