After almost five months of negotiations, the Mayors and Independents (STAN), the Pirates, and the Spolu alliance of the Civic Democrats (ODS), Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL), and TOP 09 signed a coalition agreement in Prague on Monday. This agreement marks the end of a lengthy process that saw the city of Prague, the country’s capital, as the only municipality that did not have a new administration after the September 2021 elections.

The new City Council will have 11 members, including the mayor. Bohuslav Svoboda, the leader of Spolu’s Prague branch, is the coalition’s candidate for mayor. The Pirates will have four seats, STAN two, and Spolu five, three of which will go to ODS and two to TOP 09. Although KDU-CSL will not have any seats on the Council, it will chair two of the City Assembly committees.

Zdenek Zajicek, who heads the Spolu group in the City Assembly, said that the new coalition will prioritize cooperation with the state, energy self-sufficiency and security, and housing. He also mentioned that the tasks ahead would be difficult and complicated, but the coalition has prepared for them well.

The signing of the agreement was a challenging and complicated process due to the various parties’ differing priorities and goals. However, it is now expected that the new administration will focus on many areas, including economic growth, job creation, housing, and transport infrastructure.

The Spolu alliance won the local elections in the capital city with 19 mandates, followed by ANO with 14 mandates, the Pirates with 13, Prague For Itself with 11, STAN with five, and Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) with three. It is worth noting that the Spolu alliance has already formed coalition governments in many municipalities across the Czech Republic.

The long delay in forming a new administration has led to growing criticism from the public, who are frustrated by the lack of progress in addressing the city’s problems. Prague’s previous mayor, Zdeněk Hřib of the Pirates, resigned after the election in 2021, and since then, the city has been run by an interim administration.

In conclusion, the signing of the coalition agreement by the Pirates, STAN, and Spolu is a significant step forward for Prague, and it is expected that the new administration will be able to work on various issues that have been put on hold for months due to the delay. However, the new administration will face many challenges, and it remains to be seen how they will overcome these and meet the public’s expectations.

Article by Prague Forum