Der tschechische Präsident sagt, er sei wegen der Ernennung eines prorussischen Politikers zum Minister unter Zwang geraten, Ermittlungen der Polizei

Czech President Petr Pavel has accused a government-linked political figure of attempting to exert improper pressure on him over the appointment of Filip Turek as a cabinet minister. Pavel said the communication crossed into unacceptable coercion and released text messages to support his claim.

In the messages, Motorists party leader Petr Macinka wrote that he was facing an irreversible decision regarding how to proceed with the president. He suggested Pavel could gain calm if Turek were appointed minister of the environment, but warned that otherwise he would burn bridges in a way that would enter political science textbooks as an extreme case of cohabitation. Macinka also claimed he had backing from Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) and the far-right SPD movement.

In further messages, Macinka wrote that while he understood the president would not want to be blackmailed, politics is about compromises if one wants to have influence. He added that either everything would be possible or nothing would be possible, saying that one signature would be enough. He set a deadline of Wednesday for a decision, warning that if Pavel did nothing or refused negotiations over Turek’s appointment, the consequences would surprise him greatly and not only him.

According to the president, the pressure concerned the nomination of Turek, a controversial politician described by critics as pro-Russian. Turek recently drew criticism after stating in Kyiv, near a building destroyed by Russian shelling, that NATO’s expansion was responsible for the war in Ukraine.

The Office of the President has filed a criminal complaint alleging extortion, and Czech police have confirmed they are reviewing the matter. The accused politician denies wrongdoing, calling the allegations a misinterpretation. No charges have been filed so far, but the case has triggered a major political dispute in Prague.

The Motorists are terrible people…