Final Word from Wednesday, October 8, 2025

Defense-industry lobbyists Petr Kolář and Miroslav Kalousek are two of the opinion leaders pushing hardest for the new opposition in Parliament to agree on some form of collaboration with ANO Chair Andrej Babiš so that the 15 votes of SPD can be marginalized. Kalousek pleaded for the outgoing coalition to keep its promise to voters in terms of maintaining the foreign-policy direction of the country. Kolář said that he trusts that Babiš will see how useful the ammunition program is for the CR in terms of both international image and domestic industry. The message is clear, but Kolář (representing Colt CZ) and Kalousek (STV) are the wrong ones to send it. Lobbyists who will presumably receive fat bonuses if they help arrange a continuation of the CR's Biden-era foreign policy could instead end up provoking the opposite reaction. Babiš might be forced by his voters to take an even tougher stance against Ukraine if he is seen to start colluding with the defense industry that he has so criticized. [ Czech Republic Česká zbrojovka shells initiative ]