Foreign Minister Fired For Opposing Sputnik Vaccine Purchase

The office of President Milos Zeman announced the removal of Foreign Minister Tomas Petricek just a week after Health Minister Jan Blatny was relieved of his position.

• Part of the reasoning behind the removal of Petricek and Blatny is seen as a reaction to both ministers' opposition to the use of the Russian-made Sputnik V vaccine in Czechia.
• Petricek also stated that his dismissal was in part due to his opposition to the potential involvement of Russia's state-owned nuclear power agency Rosatom in the completion of the construction of the Dukovany nuclear power plant.
• President Zeman, seen as one of the most pro-Russian national leaders in the EU, has vocally supported Russia's involvement in both the Dukovany plant and Czechia's COVID-19 vaccine rollout.
• Another factor behind Petricek's dismissal is likely to be his failed attempt last week to take the leadership of the centre-left Czech Social Democratic Party (CSSD), which sits as a junior partner to Prime Minister Andrej Babis' ANO party in the Czech gov't, with CSSD head Jan Hamacek recommending Petricek's dismissal.
• Lubomir Zaoralek, currently Culture minister and foreign minister in a previous gov't, is set to take over from Petricek. Zaoralek came in for criticism from opponents for being seen to be too friendly with China.