Babis’s Fake Negotiations A Failure: Ivan Bartos

Andrej Babis

Prague, April 13 (CTK) – Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis’s ANO is only pretending that it is conducting the government-forming talks, but Babis has failed in it, dividing not only the ANO deputy group, the Pirates leader, Ivan Bartos, told CTK today.

 

On Thursday, ANO decided to resume the government-forming talks with the Social Democrats (CSSD), stopped last week by the latter party.

 

Communist KSCM deputy chairman Jiri Dolejs said it would be vital whether the Social Democrats and ANO are able to bury the ditches they dug out after their talks foundered last week.

 

Miroslav Kalousek, head of the TOP 09 deputy group, said President Milos Zeman was primarily to blame for the Czech Republic still not having a government with confidence by the Chamber of Deputies.

 

“I am convinced that this is nothing but a media game, because on February 21, Babis said in an interview with his own paper: ‘I will be the prime minister and I will not offer anything to the CSSD,'” Bartos quoted Babis as saying in the daily Mlada fronta Dnes (MfD).

 

ANO is only pretending that it is conducting the talks, Bartos said.

 

“At any rate, Babis is failing in the talks, thus dividing not only the deputy group of ANO where many deputies shun the considered cooperation with the aggressive Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD),” he added.

 

Bartos said liberal European politicians were also critical of the “brownish” cooperation.

 

Critics say the anti-EU SPD has some fascist leanings, which has been rejected by its leader, Tomio Okamura.

 

“For Babis, this seems to be a bigger problem than the risk of the loss of the people in ANO he can immediately replace or mass demonstrations in Czech towns,” Bartos said.

 

On Monday, rallies were held in nearly 20 Czech cities to protest against Babis and his government.

 

Dolejs told journalists he considered the decision of the ANO committee logical.

 

“Babis has realised that the alliance with the SPD may be a burden, even in the local election. Here in Prague, the SPD would probably push ANO to the bottom. Bearing this in mind, he is looking for other options,” he added.

 

Dolejs said the attitude of the KSCM had not changed. The party is ready to tolerate the government and it “basically does not mind” the alternative of a government of ANO and the Social Democrats, as their planned manifesto seemed to be fairly sensible, he added.

 

Kalousek said the Social Democrats would decide on whether to cover the cooperation of ANO with the Communists and the SPD.

 

He said as soon as the government gains confidence in the Chamber of Deputies, it would be impossible to dismiss it.

 

“They are likely to negotiate on the conditions that may be better than the previous deal,” Kalousek said.

 

President Milos Zeman bears the biggest responsibility for the Czech Republic not having a government with confidence as many as five months after the general election, Kalousek said.

 

“A normal president would not tolerate anything like this. He certainly bears the biggest responsibility for the current plight,” he added.