Petr Fiala Explained

Petr Fiala
Honorific-Suffix:MP
Office:Prime Minister of the Czech Republic
President:Miloš Zeman
Petr Pavel
Term Start:28 November 2021
Predecessor:Andrej Babiš
Office2:Leader of the Civic Democratic Party
Term Start2:18 January 2014
Predecessor2:Petr Nečas
Office3:Minister of Education, Youth and Sports
Term Start3:2 May 2012
Term End3:10 July 2013
Primeminister3:Petr Nečas
Predecessor3:Josef Dobeš
Successor3:Dalibor Štys
Office4:Member of the Chamber of Deputies
Term Start4:26 October 2013
Birth Date:1 September 1964
Birth Place:Brno, Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic)
Children:3
Residence:Kramář's Villa, Prague
Party:ODS (since 2013)

Petr Fiala (in Czech pronounced as /ˈpɛtr̩ ˈfɪjala/; born 1 September 1964) is a Czech politician and political scientist who has been the prime minister of the Czech Republic since November 2021 and leader of the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) since 2014. He previously served as the Minister of Education, Youth and Sports from 2012 to 2013. Prior to entering politics, he was the rector of Masaryk University.

Fiala was first elected to the Chamber of Deputies as a non-partisan in the 2013 election. He won the 2014 Civic Democratic Party leadership election, promising to reform the party and regain public trust after a corruption scandal involving Prime Minister Petr Nečas. Fiala's party finished a distant second place in the 2017 legislative election, and remained in opposition despite multiple offers from the incoming Prime Minister Andrej Babiš to participate in his governing coalition.

In 2020, Fiala led the initiative for a centre-right electoral alliance with KDU-ČSL and TOP 09, known as Spolu. He became its candidate for the premiership in the 2021 Czech legislative election, running on a pro-Western and pro-European centre-right platform, focused on fiscal responsibility and closer relations with NATO as part of Atlanticism. The alliance outperformed initial opinion polls and received the highest number of votes in the election, though with one seat fewer in the Chamber of Deputies than second-placed ANO 2011.

Under Fiala's leadership, Spolu formed a coalition agreement with the Pirates and Mayors alliance, with a majority of 108 of 200 seats. He was appointed Prime Minister by President Miloš Zeman on 28 November 2021 and Petr Fiala's Cabinet took power on 17 December, making him the third oldest person to hold the office, as well as the first with a political science background and the first from Brno.

Fiala came into office promising to reform and stabilize the government's growing national debt; however, the early months of his premiership saw the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the provision of aid to Ukraine, and the opening of the Czech Republic's borders to the highest number of Ukrainian refugees per capita in the ensuing Ukrainian refugee crisis.[1] Fiala imposed sanctions on Russia and pushed to block Russian citizens from travelling to the European Union. He expressed strong support for Israel during the Israel–Hamas war. In 2022, the Czech Republic held the presidency of the Council of the European Union. Fiala's administration also faced rising inflation, concerns about the economy, the ongoing global energy crisis, fall of real wages and low approval ratings.

Early life

Petr Fiala was born in Brno to a conservative Catholic family.[2] His father, who was partly of Jewish origin, was a Holocaust survivor.[2] [3] Fiala studied history and Czech language at the Faculty of Literature of Masaryk University between 1983 and 1988, and after graduating he worked as a historian in a local museum in Kroměříž.[4]

In 1996, he became a docent at Charles University in Prague, and in 2002 he was named as the first professor of political science in the Czech Republic.[5] In 2004, he became dean of the Faculty of Social Studies at Masaryk University, and in the same year was elected as rector of the university, defeating Jan Wechsler in the third round.[6] Fiala was reelected in 2008 and remained in the position until 2011. While Fiala was rector, Masaryk University increased its enrollment to around 45,000 students, became the most popular Czech university in terms of applications, and created a nationwide system for detecting academic plagiarism.[7] During this period, Masaryk University built a new €220 million campus for biomedicine, opened a research station in Antarctica, and established the Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC) using CZK 5.3 billion from the European Structural and Investment Funds. CEITEC launched in 2011.[8]

Career

Public activism

In the 1980s, Fiala was involved in independent civic activism. Between 1984 and 1989, he participated in the so-called underground university, hosting seminars in Brno focused on political philosophy.[9] He was involved in unofficial Christian activities, especially in the circle of secretly consecrated Bishop Stanislav Krátký.[10] Along with other Brno students, he founded the samizdat university magazine Revue 88, published in 1988–1989.[11]

After November 1989, Fiala continued his publishing and civic activism, working as an editor for magazines such as Proglas, Revue Politika, and Kontexty. In 1993, he founded the Centre for the Study of Democracy and Culture (CDK), a civic think-tank. Fiala was criticized for his activities during the 2021 election campaign because the centre was accepting state subsidies.[12]

Fiala has been active for a long time in institutions and bodies related to higher education and research in the Czech Republic and abroad. He served as vice-chair of the Czech Rectors' Conference from 2005 until 2009, and chair between 2009 and 2011. Fiala was a member of the council of the European University Association between 2009 and 2011. In 2007, he was elected by the Chamber of Deputies to the council of the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes, where he served for five years. He is a member of many scientific and academic councils of public and private universities and research institutions in the Czech Republic and abroad. He has received a number of awards for his scientific and academic work; in 2011 he was awarded the Golden Plaque of the President of the Republic.[13]

In 2005, he was part of the commission in the competition of Czech and Moravian wines, TOP 77.[14]

Politics

In September 2011, Fiala served as chief aide for science to Prime Minister Petr Nečas, and was appointed as Minister of Education, Youth and Sports in Nečas' government on 2 May 2012,[15] remaining in that post until Nečas resigned in 2013.

In the 2013 legislative election, Fiala was elected as an independent to the Chamber of Deputies. The Civic Democratic Party (ODS) was defeated in the election and Fiala joined the party in November 2013.[16] In 2014, Fiala announced his candidacy for the leadership of ODS, and was elected as the party's fourth leader on 18 January. He was re-elected as party leader in 2016.

Fiala led ODS into the 2017 legislative election, in which the party finished second with 11% of the vote. He refused to negotiate with ANO 2011 about joining the subsequent government, and ODS remained in opposition.[17] On 28 November 2017, Fiala was elected Deputy President of the Chamber of Deputies, receiving 116 of 183 votes.[18] Fiala was reelected leader of ODS in 2018.

With Fiala as leader, ODS made gains in the 2018 municipal elections and won the Senate election of the same year.[19] [20] Fiala was reelected leader of ODS in 2020.

ODS also made gains during the 2020 regional elections.[21] Fiala then started negotiating with KDU-ČSL and TOP 09 about forming an electoral alliance for the legislative election in 2021.[22] ODS, KDU-ČSL and TOP 09 reached an agreement to form an alliance called SPOLU ("Together").[23] Fiala became the alliance's candidate for the post of Prime Minister.[24]

Ahead of the election, opinion polls suggested that ANO 2011 would win, but in an electoral upset Spolu won the highest number of votes, and opposition parties won a majority of seats in the Chamber of Deputies.[25] The opposition parties signed a memorandum agreeing to nominate Fiala for the position of Prime Minister.[26] On 8 November, five Czech parties, ranging from the liberal-conservative Civic Democrats to the centre-left liberal Pirate Party, signed a pact to form a new centre-right coalition government and pledged to cut budget deficits.[27] On 9 November, President Miloš Zeman formally asked Fiala to form a new government.[28] On 17 November 2021, Fiala introduced Zeman to his proposed cabinet and Zeman agreed to appoint Fiala the new Prime Minister the same year on 26 November.[29] In November 2021, Fiala confirmed that he would like to continue with the Spolu coalition into the 2022 Senate and municipal elections.[30]

Premiership

On 28 November 2021, President Miloš Zeman appointed Petr Fiala as the 13th Prime Minister of the Czech Republic.[31] Following his appointment, Fiala said he believed his government would bring change and improve the lives of people in the Czech Republic, but that the next year would be difficult for many citizens and the Czech Republic itself.[32] His appointment took effect upon his Cabinet being sworn in, on 17 December 2021. Fiala's government won a confidence vote in the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic on 13 January 2022 by 106–86.[33]

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Petr Fiala and his government took a tough stance on Russia, pushing for the toughest sanctions against Russia and supporting Ukraine's accession to the European Union. After the invasion, the Czech Republic immediately began supplying weapons and humanitarian aid to Ukraine. On 15 March 2022, Fiala, together with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša, visited Kyiv to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a display of support for Ukraine.[34] The train journey, described by the media as a "risky mission",[35] as well as an "extraordinary attempt to demonstrate support",[36] was the first visit by foreign leaders to Kyiv since the start of the Russian invasion,[37] and was hailed by President Zelenskyy as a "great, brave, correct and sincere step" after the meeting.[38]

In July 2022, he officially accepted the Presidency of the Council of the European Union on behalf of the Czech Republic. He delivered a speech on the floor of the European Parliament, in which he called for the defense of European values, continuing support for Ukraine, and the inclusion of nuclear energy as a renewable resource (which was subsequently approved by a vote from MEPs).[39] [40] The Presidency of the Council under Fiala was considered to have "achieved historic results", as stated by the First Vice-President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans.[41] [42] On 6 October 2022, Fiala chaired the 1st European Political Community Summit in Prague.[43]

Starting from 2023, the Czech Republic went into recession,[44] and subsequently continued to underperform economically relative to other European Union member states, which were showing signs of recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.[45] The Czech Republic also experienced high debt growth and a decrease in real wages,[46] despite a decrease in the EU-average level of debt,[47] and registered the highest inflation rate in the EU during the 2021–2023 inflation surge.[48]

In October 2023, Fiala condemned Hamas' attack on Israel, and expressed his support for Israel's right to self-defence and actions during the subsequent Israel–Hamas war.[49] He said that Israel was "the only functioning democracy in the Middle East and is the key to stability in the region."[50] On 25 October 2023, Fiala visited Israel to express solidarity with the country.[51] Nigeria cancelled a planned visit by Fiala on 8 November 2023.[52]

During 2023, Fiala and his government encountered deeply negative ratings from the Czech public.[53] In December 2023, Fiala's approval rating dropped to 16% in some polls, one of the lowest approval ratings among world leaders,[54] and the lowest for a Czech Prime Minister since Petr Nečas.[55]

On 26 February 2024, Fiala attended an emergency summit in Paris hosted by Emmanuel Macron, to discuss the military situation in Ukraine, as they had recently suffered the loss of Avdiivka. Fiala proposed the purchase of 500,000 rounds of artillery ammunition for Volodymyr Zelensky's forces from foreign sources. The Czech Republic were raising the proposal for the second time in one month, after the first proposal had been vetoed by France in the European Council.[56] Whilst in Paris, Mark Rutte announced that the Dutch government would provide €100 million for this purpose, and Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo announced that his government would provide €200 million, among 15 nations which announced support for the proposal.[57]

On 24 June 2024, Argentine President Javier Milei visited the Czech Republic and was greeted by Petr Fiala and Czech President Petr Pavel.[58]

Political views

A conservative,[59] [60] [61] he holds soft Eurosceptic views,[62] and says that he opposes "political extremism" and "populism".[63] He opposes same-sex marriage as he stated in his book.[64] Numerous Czech-based firms have called on Fiala to approve LGBT marriage.[65] [66] [67] Fiala is a staunch supporter of Israel.[68] [69]

In August 2016, Fiala stated that "radical Islam is at war with Europe" and that the European Union should not accept migrants who pose a risk.[70] He opposed the withdrawal of Czech soldiers from the war in Afghanistan.[71] Fiala expressed opposition to Russian and Chinese involvement in the construction of the new unit of the Dukovany Nuclear Power Plant.[72] He also claimed that human impact on climate change is "not entirely clear", which was met with criticism and accusations of populism from environmental experts.[73]

At the beginning of June 2020, a statue in Prague of the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, in Winston Churchill Square in Žižkov, was spray-painted with the inscription "He was a racist. Black Lives Matter", referring to a wave of protests against police brutality and racism triggered by the murder of George Floyd in the United States. Fiala condemned the vandalism of Churchill's statue, describing Churchill as "the great democratic politician... who contributed to the defeat of Adolf Hitler", and criticised the graffiti as "stupid and shameful."[74]

Prior to the 2021 election, Fiala criticised the European Green Deal, a political initiative of the European Commission to promote the transition to a green economy.[75] [76] However, he wrote in May 2021: "The Green Deal is reality. There is no point in speculating how it could be otherwise. Now we must seize the opportunity to modernize the Czech economy and improve the quality of life by investing in sustainable development, renewable resources and the circular economy."[77] Fiala also serves as the chairman of the board of directors of the independent liberal-conservative think tank Pravý břeh.

Foreign issues

In October 2015, Fiala called for a military invasion by Western ground forces in the Middle East, stating: "We will not solve the problem of migration and destabilization of the Middle East and North Africa unless we take military action." On the other hand, he opposed Russian involvement in the war against Islamic State.[78]

In June 2018, commemorating displaced peoples and refugees, German Chancellor Angela Merkel condemned the expulsion of Germans from Czechoslovakia and other Central and Eastern European countries after World War II, arguing that there was no moral and political justification for the expulsion. Fiala responded that "pulling things out of the past with a one-sided interpretation certainly does not help the development of mutual relations."[79]

In October 2019, he condemned the military aggression of Turkey, a NATO member state, against the Kurds in Rojava in northern Syria, stating that "the situation in the Middle East has deteriorated significantly since this Turkish military operation in northern Syria."[80]

Fiala welcomed the victory of the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party in the Polish parliamentary elections in October 2019, noting that ODS and PiS had been cooperating for a long time in a common European Parliament political group.[81] He also stated that he would limit the negative impacts on Czech territory of mining in the Polish Turów brown coal mine near the Czech border.[82]

Fiala supports Israel and its policies. He criticised Foreign Minister Tomáš Petříček, Minister of Culture Lubomír Zaorálek and former Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg for their joint statement on 23 May 2020 condemning the planned Israeli annexation of Jewish settlements that Israel had built in the occupied West Bank since 1967.[83]

In 2020, he supported the official visit of Czech Senate President Miloš Vystrčil and other Czech senators to Taiwan to express support for the country and its democracy.[84]

In May 2024, he described the International Criminal Court's request for an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant as "appalling and absolutely unacceptable", saying "We must not forget that it was Hamas that attacked Israel in October and killed, injured and kidnapped thousands of innocent people."[85]

Personal life

Fiala is married to biologist Jana Fialová, whom he met as a student during the Velvet Revolution. They have three children.[86] He is a Roman Catholic and was baptized in 1986. Fiala played football until the age of 40 and also enjoys tennis, shooting, skiing, swimming, jazz music and James Bond movies.[87]

In January 2024, it emerged that Fiala had omitted to declare an ownership stake of almost 1 million CZK in the Podnikatelska Druzstevni Zalozna credit union.[88]

Honours and awards

Bibliography

See also

External links

|-|-|-|-

Notes and References

  1. News: Regional Refugee Response Plan for the Ukraine Situation Inter-Agency Operational Update: Czech Republic, March - June 2022 Czechia. Relief Web.
  2. Web site: 18 October 2021. Petr Fiala: The Czech Republic's New Prime Minister?. The Trumpet. 8 November 2021.
  3. Web site: 11 November 2019. Fast Confession Petr Fiala: Being happy is more important than being successful in the eyes of society. LP Life. 8 November 2021.
  4. Web site: Professor or former rector and minister. Will Petr Fiala lead the Czech government? . Remo News. 8 November 2021.
  5. Web site: Prof. PhDr. Petr Fiala, Ph.D., LL.M. Government of the Czech Republic. Government of the Czech Republic. 8 November 2022.
  6. Web site: Masarykova univerzita si zvolila nového rektora . tarantula.ruk.cuni.cz . 11 October 2021. cs.
  7. Web site: New minister shelves tuition fees plan to negotiate with universities. University World News. 8 November 2021.
  8. Web site: Petr Fiala Životopis. Financici.cz . 11 October 2021 . cs.
  9. News: Petr Fiala, Prime Minister's Chief Science Advisor. Government of the Czech Republic.
  10. Web site: Fiala. Petr. December 2010. Zemřel dobrý bratr biskup Stanislav Krátký. Getsemany.
  11. Web site: Zázrak jménem Revue 88 aneb Když samizdat dělali studenti. Mladá fronta Dnes. 28 March 2010. 11 October 2021. cs.
  12. Web site: Fialovo 'dotační království' je zavádějící. Před zkresleným článkem varují experti na dezinformace . Czech Radio. 22 September 2021 . 11 October 2021. cs.
  13. News: Petr Fiala převzal zlatou plaketu od prezidenta Klause . 23 March 2024. Zprávy z MUNI. Masaryk University. cs.
  14. Web site: Čeští vinaři dohánějí ty moravské . Mladá fronta Dnes. 2 November 2005. 11 October 2021 . cs.
  15. News: Christian. Falvey. New education minister inherits a difficult situation. Radio Prague International. 2 May 2012. 31 May 2013.
  16. Web site: Exministr školství Fiala vstoupil do ODS. Novinky.cz. 7 November 2013. 23 April 2016. cs.
  17. Web site: Do Průhonic nepojedu. O uspořádání Sněmovny se má jednat ve Sněmovně, vzkázal šéf ODS Babišovi. Seznam.cz. 22 October 2017.
  18. Web site: Vedení sněmovny je kompletní. Petr Fiala napodruhé uspěl, je pátým místopředsedou . Czech Radio. 28 November 2017 . 3 November 2021 . cs.
  19. News: Kateřina. Perknerová. Volby 2018: Kdo uspěl, kdo propadl, kdo sílí. A proč . Deník. 10 October 2021 . cs . 8 October 2018.
  20. Web site: Volby do Senátu ovládla ODS, pro hnutí ANO dopadly podle Babiše mizerně . Seznam Zprávy . 10 October 2021.
  21. Web site: ANO vyhrálo krajské volby, hejtmanská křesla ale nemá jistá. Uspěli i Starostové a ODS . ČT24. Czech Television. 10 October 2021 . cs.
  22. Web site: Námluvy pokročily. Jak se pečou koalice proti Babišovi do velkých voleb? . CNN Prima News. 10 October 2021 . cs.
  23. Web site: ODS, KDU-ČSL a TOP 09 jdou do voleb jako koalice SPOLU. Daly 17 slibů . Seznam Zprávy. 9 December 2020 . 9 December 2020. cs.
  24. News: ODS, TOP 09 a KDU-ČSL půjdou do voleb společně. Chtějí je vyhrát. ČT24. 27 October 2020. 8 March 2021.
  25. Web site: Štěpán. Bruner. Spolu vyhrálo volby. Petr Fiala může být nový český premiér. 9 October 2021. 10 October 2021. E15. cs.
  26. Web site: Czech opposition parties form majority alliance, sign memorandum for new government . expats.cz. 10 October 2021.
  27. Web site: Czech parties sign agreement to form centre-right government. aljazeera.com. November 8, 2021. November 28, 2021.
  28. Web site: Siegfried. Mortkowitz. Czech president taps Petr Fiala to lead new government. Politico Europe. 9 November 2021. 10 November 2021.
  29. Web site: Fiala bude premiérem 26. listopadu, Zemanovi představil jména ministrů. Mladá fronta Dnes. 17 November 2021. 18 November 2021. cs.
  30. Web site: Fiala chce udržet koalici SPOLU i pro komunální a senátní volby v roce 2022. ČT24. Czech Television. 22 November 2021. cs.
  31. Web site: Zeman jmenoval Fialu premiérem. V pondělí se začne scházet s ministry. Seznam Zprávy. 28 November 2021 . 28 November 2021.
  32. Web site: Fiala: Chci říkat pravdu, příští rok bude těžký. Novinky.cz. 28 November 2021 . 28 November 2021. cs.
  33. News: New Czech centre-right government wins confidence vote in parliament. Reuters. 13 January 2022. 14 January 2022.
  34. Web site: Leaders of Poland, Czech Republic, Slovenia to visit Kyiv on Tuesday . Politico Europe. 15 March 2022.
  35. News: Muller. Robert. Lopatka. Jan. James. Mackenzie. European leaders' risky Kyiv mission took even close family by surprise. 16 March 2022. Reuters.
  36. News: Viser . Matt . Stanley-Backer. Isaac . Timsit . Annabelle . Rauhala . Emily . European leaders meet in Kyiv as besieged capital faces fresh attacks . . 16 March 2022.
  37. News: Polityuk . Pavel . Zinets . Natalia . Berberoglu . Omer . Symbol of resistance as EU leaders head to Kyiv 'where history is forged' . 16 March 2022 . . 16 March 2022.
  38. News: Davit. Kachkachishvili. Ukrainian president hails visit by Polish, Czech, Slovenian premiers amid Russian war . 16 March 2022 . . 16 March 2022.
  39. Web site: Naše hodnoty je třeba hájit, řekl Fiala europoslancům. Předsednickou rolí Česka bude hledání shody . ČT24. Czech Television. 9 September 2022. cs.
  40. News: Neodmítejte křehký kompromis, vyzval Fiala před hlasováním o jaderné energii . Deník. 9 September 2022 . cs. 6 July 2022.
  41. Web site: Czech Presidency was highly appreciated at the last meeting of the EU Environment Council. EU2022. Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union . 28 December 2022.
  42. Web site: EK: České předsednictví EU bylo jedno z nejúspěšnějších za dlouhá léta. Novinky.cz. Borgis. 20 December 2022. 28 December 2022 . cs.
  43. News: Rikard. Jozwiak. What Did The First Meeting Of The European Political Community Actually Achieve?. . 7 October 2022 . 28 December 2022.
  44. News: Thomas. Smith. Explained: What's driving Czechia's economic downturn?, November 2023 - Czechia. Expats.cz. 1 November 2023.
  45. News: Ben. Aris. Czechia in last place as rest of the EU starts to recover, November 2023 - Czechia. Bne IntelliNews. 7 November 2023.
  46. News: The financial management of the Czech Republic in 2022: fastest rising debt, fifth highest inflation in the EU, historically the most significant decline in real wages, September 2022 - Czechia. NKU. 4 September 2023.
  47. News: Czech Republic's Rising Debt and EU's Decreasing Debt: An Overview, October 2023 - Czechia. Czech Daily. 24 October 2023.
  48. News: Czech Republic Topped EU: Highest Inflation Rate, December 2023 - Czechia. Czech Daily. 20 December 2023.
  49. News: Fiala to push EU Council to support Israel's right to self-defence, condemn Hamas. Euractiv. 26 October 2023.
  50. News: Czech PM says his country will back Israel's right to self-defence . Radio Prague International . 26 October 2023.
  51. News: Visiting Israel, Leaders of Czech Republic, Austria Pledge Solidarity Against Hamas. Haaretz . 25 October 2023.
  52. News: Nigeria cancels visit of Czech Prime Minister Fiala: Prague's pro-Israel position in the background . Agenzia Nova. 8 November 2023.
  53. News: Nearly 80% of Czechs do not trust PM: survey . Euractiv. 20 October 2023.
  54. News: PM Modi tops global approval ratings with 76% votes; BJP leaders laud his leadership . Business Today. 9 December 2023.
  55. News: Poll: Czech public rates the current government the worst in a decade. Expats.cz. March 2023.
  56. News: EU seeks more ammunition for Ukraine to reverse Putin's advance. 26 February 2024.
  57. News: Michel. Rose. John. Irish. France's Macron does not rule out Europeans sending troops to Ukraine. Reuters. 27 February 2024.
  58. Web site: Awkwardness surrounds Milei's presence in Prague . mercopress.com . 25 June 2024.
  59. Web site: Hana. Mazancová. Hana. Ustohalová. Barbora. Mašát Janáková. Kirill. Ščeblykin. Noblesní pán, který umí bouchnout do stolu. Jak by si Petr Fiala počínal jako premiér. Deník N. 23 September 2021. 13 October 2021. cs.
  60. Web site: Irena. Buršová. "Přirozená" rodina, homofobie, právo na názor a Petr Fiala. Heroine.cz. 11 September 2021. 13 October 2021. cs.
  61. Web site: Aneta. Zachová. New Czech government mulls appointment of EU minister. Euractiv. 27 October 2021. 8 November 2021.
  62. Book: Havlík, Vlastimil. Europeanised defiance: Czech Euroscepticism since 2004. 2017. Vít Hloušek, Petr Kaniok. 978-3-8474-1085-0. Opladen. 1001387203.
  63. Web site: Václav. Dolejší. Klausové mi nebudou říkat, co je pravicové, rozčílil se lídr ODS Fiala. A poprvé předvedl ostřejší styl politiky. Seznam Zprávy. 20 March 2019. 13 October 2021.
  64. Web site: Jan. Menšík. Fiala proti stejnopohlavním sňatkům: Tradiční rodinu je třeba chránit. Novinky.cz. 9 September 2021. 11 October 2021. cs.
  65. Web site: Large global corporations call on Czech PM to accept same-sex marriage. Expats.cz. 30 August 2023. 1 September 2023.
  66. Web site: Over 60 Czech Firms Ask PM Fiala To Support Same-Sex Marriage. Brno Daily. 6 September 2023.
  67. Web site: Česká divadla vyzývají premiéra Fialu k podpoře manželství pro všechny. Deník N. 2 October 2023. 5 October 2023.
  68. News: Czech PM Fiala pushes embassy move to Jerusalem to show support. Reuters. 12 October 2023.
  69. News: Czech PM opposes EU staff's 'pro-Israel' criticism. Euractiv. 23 October 2023.
  70. Web site: Jan. Martinek. Fiala: Jsme ve válce, která se vede i v našich ulicích. Novinky.cz. 25 August 2016. 11 October 2021. cs.
  71. Web site: Je třeba se z Afghánistánu stáhnout, řekl Zaorálek. Babiš to odmítl. Mladá fronta Dnes. 23 October 2018. 11 October 2021. cs.
  72. Web site: Spor o stavbu Dukovan pokračuje. Vládní strany věří, že tajné služby změní názor na účast Ruska a Číny. Czech Radio. 26 January 2021. 11 October 2021. cs.
  73. Web site: Prokop. Vodrážka. Experti: Fialovo zpochybňování vlivu člověka na klima je manifestace populismu. Cílí na bojovníky za "normální svět". Deník N. 6 October 2021. 11 October 2021. cs.
  74. Web site: Autorky nápisu na soše Winstona Churchilla: "Chtěly jsme upozornit na jeho zločiny.". 13 June 2020. 11 October 2021. A2larm. cs.
  75. Web site: Hádka o Green Deal. Babiš dohodu odsouhlasil a teď se diví, tepal premiéra Fiala. CNN Prima News. 3 October 2021. 29 November 2021. cs.
  76. Web site: Politici mohli dát žlutou kartu obřímu zdražování. Místo toho řeší "drobné". Seznam Zprávy. 4 October 2021 . 29 November 2021. cs.
  77. Web site: Oldřich. Tichý. Řekl by Fiala po okupaci v roce 1968, že už nemá smysl spekulovat nad tím, jak by to mohlo být jinak?. Reflex.cz. 21 May 2021. 29 November 2021. cs.
  78. Web site: Fiala volá po vojenské invazi na Blízký východ. ČT24. Czech Television. 5 October 2015. 11 October 2021. cs.
  79. Web site: Babišovi a Zemanovi vadí výroky Merkelové o odsunu Němců. Diplomacie s nimi problém nemá. Lidové noviny. 20 June 2018. 11 October 2021. cs.
  80. Web site: Sněmovna odsoudila tureckou agresi proti Kurdům, Babišovi uložila prosazovat ekonomická opatření. Czech Radio. 15 October 2019. 11 October 2021. cs.
  81. News: Další čtyři roky u moci. Výsledky potvrzují volební výhru Práva a spravedlnosti. Deník. 14 October 2019. 11 October 2021. cs.
  82. Web site: Petr Fiala: Těžbu v Turówě měl stát řešit mnohem dříve. ODS. 11 October 2021. cs.
  83. Web site: Jan. Martinek. Kritický článek tří ministrů zahraničí o Izraeli vyvolal v Česku politickou přestřelku. Novinky.cz. 25 May 2020. 11 October 2021. cs.
  84. Web site: Petr Fiala stojí za Milošem Vystrčilem: Nejsme v normální situaci. Cesta na Tchaj-wan je nutná. Forum24. 15 June 2020. 15 March 2022. cs.
  85. News: Czech PM: ICC decision on Netanyahu arrest warrant "appalling and unacceptable" . . 21 May 2024.
  86. News: Sametová láska předsedy ODS Petra Fialy: Rande na hřbitově, návrh a revoluce. Deník. 19 November 2019. 12 October 2021. cs.
  87. Web site: Jan. Flemr. Petr Fiala: James Bond Fan Who Could Be Next Czech PM. barrons.com. 8 November 2021.
  88. News: Czech PM Fiala Faces Fine For Undeclared Stake In Credit Union. Brno Daily. Czech News Agency. 22 January 2024. 23 January 2024.
  89. Web site: Vyznamenání. vut.cz. 30 October 2021. cs.
  90. Web site: Petr Fiala – Zlaté medaile MU . Masarykova univerzita . 30 October 2021 . cs.
  91. Web site: Petr Fiala převzal zlatou plaketu od prezidenta Klause . em.muni.cz. 26 August 2011. 30 October 2021 . cs.
  92. Web site: Jiří. Cileček. Ostravská univerzita ocenila premiéra Petra Fialu za zásluhy o svobodu a demokracii. polar.cz. 19 March 2022. 25 March 2022. cs.
  93. Web site: Prof. PhDr. Petr Fiala, Ph.D., LL.M.. Government of the Czech Republic. 30 October 2021.
  94. Web site: Czech PM Fiala receives Polish 'Man of the Year' Award. Brno Daily. Czech News Agency. 7 September 2022. 9 September 2022.
  95. News: Premiér Fiala převzal v Kyjevě od prezidenta Zelenského státní vyznamenání. ČT24. Czech Television. 31 October 2022. cs.