Re-elected Czech MEP Declines Second Term in European Parliament
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Loading... - Mikhail Petrov
- 18 Jul 2024
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In an unexpected development, recently re-elected Czech MEP Martin Hlaváček (ANO, PfE) announced on Monday that he will not be pursuing a second term in the European Parliament.
During his tenure from 2019 to 2024, Hlaváček was an active member of the AGRI Committee and served as a shadow rapporteur on the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy. Despite his recent re-election in early June, Hlaváček declined his mandate just one day before the inaugural session of the new European Parliament.
"Due to significant personal reasons, I am unable to accept the mandate of MEP. Nonetheless, I intend to continue my work with the ANO movement on a professional level and within my capacity," Hlaváček wrote on X, adding that he might collaborate with ANO’s think-tank.
In Czechia, the populist ANO party, led by former Prime Minister Andrej Babis, secured seven seats in the new European Parliament.
Hlaváček's vacant seat will be taken by Tomáš Kubín, a politician with experience in local politics and industry. Kubín, who was number eight on ANO’s EU election list, had already started preparing to assist another newly elected ANO MEP, Jaroslava Pokorná Jermanová.
Reacting to Hlaváček’s resignation, Kubín told the Czech News Agency, “I had no idea. This is fresh news for me.” He further mentioned, "At this moment, I cannot specify which area I will concentrate on in the European Parliament. It will depend on our discussions within the ANO movement and the entire group."
Prior to the elections, Kubín had expressed his interest in EU energy and climate policy during interviews.
The ANO party will join the “Patriots for Europe” group in the new European Parliament, led by Rassemblement National’s Jordan Bardella. ANO MEP Klára Dostálová will serve as the vice-chair of this new group.
