Prague gets a new mayor with three-party Pirate-less coalition agreed

Prague’s next governing coalition is settled: STAN, Spolu and Praha sobě will run the capital, with architect and current Deputy Mayor Petr Hlaváček set to become mayor.

The parties confirmed their agreement Wednesday, securing a comfortable majority of 47 seats in the 65-member city assembly. Hlaváček’s election and the appointment of the new leadership are expected on Nov. 19.

The incoming administration has already signaled changes at major municipal companies, while negotiations have also produced an agreement on the contentious issue of parking zones.

“I think we have a broad, very well and professionally assembled coalition,” Hlaváček said, adding that the three electoral groups represented 63 percent of Prague voters.

STAN will hold five seats on the 11-member executive council, including the mayor’s post. Spolu will receive four and Praha sobě two.

The parties plan to formally announce personnel and responsibilities on Nov. 18, one day before the assembly vote. They also intend to sign the coalition agreement before that meeting.

According to iDNES.cz, Hlaváček is expected to retain responsibility for urban development. Praha sobě leader Adam Scheinherr would oversee transport, while Spolu leader Tomáš Portlík would take finance and the city’s ownership stakes.

Hlaváček said the reported allocation broadly reflected the agreement.

He also announced plans for changes in the management of major city-owned businesses.

“There will be a fundamental change at Pražské služby,” he said, referring to the municipal services company. Prague’s public transport operator also needed strengthening, he added.

Portlík acknowledged that parking-zone changes had been among the sticking points in negotiations, but said the parties had reached an agreement. Details of those changes were not announced.

ANO, which holds 11 assembly seats, will be the largest opposition group. Its assembly leader, Jan Hušbauer, questioned whether the coalition’s constituent parties could govern cohesively.

He said ANO was preparing a shadow executive council to scrutinize the administration and propose alternatives.

The Pirates, with seven seats, also confirmed their move into opposition. Their Prague leader, Tereza Nislerová, said the party respected STAN’s decision but would have preferred a coalition with STAN and Praha sobě.

The party pledged constructive scrutiny and said it would not seek the chairmanship of the assembly’s oversight committee, citing the convention that the position goes to the largest opposition group.

The agreement follows negotiations that began after the Oct. 9–10 municipal elections. STAN and Spolu each won 17 seats, with Praha sobě taking 13.

It replaces the outgoing partnership of Spolu, the Pirates and STAN, bringing Praha sobě into government and positioning Hlaváček to succeed Mayor Bohuslav Svoboda.