Former Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg wrote that he “already noted how the PM took over our foreign policy agenda. He is enjoying it and with a rejected candidate Poche, Social Democrats ended up having a meaningless position without an actual impact on foreign policy. It is evident that Hamáček already conceded defeat, left the agenda to the PM and accepted that the Foreign Minister won’t be Poche but his assistant. So, we will have a Minister who doesn’t have a say in his own party, let alone in the government. Petříček might be a praiseworthy official, but hardly someone asserting a confident foreign policy.”
His party colleague Markéta Pekarová Adamová added that “the Social Democrats insisted on Poche’s nomination for so long and so staunchly that they gave the position to someone who is only known for not being disliked. We need a full-time Foreign Minister, but with clear opinions and visions.”
Opposition leader Petr Fiala welcomed that there is finally a nomination that both Babiš and Hamáček can agree on. On the other hand, he is rather worried that such a position is going to be occupied by someone with very limited political experience, whose views are not publicly known.
Rumor has it, however, that the Petříček nomination wasn´t a big surprise. According to a journalist Filip Nachtmann, this castling has already been pre-approved by President Zeman and PM Babiš and there’s no need to wait for their sanctification.
