After just eight days on the job, Karolína Peake was abruptly fired as Czech defense minister Thursday. No immediate reason was given for the decision. However, Peake, who heads the center-right government coalition’s party, LIDEM, angered Prime Minister Petr Nečas and President Václav Klaus when she immediately fired three top defence deputies.
“I suppose that this is a move to the opposition,” Peake told ČTK. LIDEM, meanwhile, said it plans to withdraw from the coalition by Jan. 10, which would mean the government would no longer have a majority in Parliament. Nečas said he wants to continue cooperating with LIDEM, but Peake cannot head the defence ministry. She will keep her deputy prime minister post.
