Prague, April 6 (CTK) – President Milos Zeman’s position will be crucial for further steps to be taken in the talks on the creation of a new government, Prime Minister Andrej Babis (ANO) told Czech Television today.
Babis said he had already asked Zeman for a meeting.
He said later the meeting would be held on Tuesday.
On Thursday, the Social Democrats (CSSD) decided to end the talks on the creation of the government with ANO.
They are not ready to be in a government headed by Babis as he is criminally prosecuted over an EU subsidy fraud, the CSSD said.
“For me, Zeman’s position will be of major importance. This is why I have asked for the meeting and I hope that he will find the time for it,” Babis said.
“I will consult him. His view is crucial to me. The view of our deputy group, to meet next Tuesday, is crucial, too,” Babis said.
He said Zeman was a very experienced politician whose views were vital to him.
Babis said in the talks, the CSSD had insisted on filling the post of interior minister.
“Hence our feeling that they only came to the talks just to destroy them. Their rank-and-file does not seem to want the CSSD to enter a government along with our movement,” Babis said.
He said ANO did not want to give up the Interior Ministry and it had filled it with an expert, not a politician.
Babis said the Interior Ministry had been “flagship” for the CSSD, instead of the Labour and Social Affairs Ministry which was closer to their programme.
“I think that there is a discrepancy. The Social Democrats claim: ‘We want to fulfil our programme.’ What programme do they want to fulfil at the Interior Ministry?” he added.
“Rather, they want to cover up something, I cannot see anything else in this,” Babis said, adding that the Social Democrats had not shown any interest in the Labour and Social Affairs Ministry.
He said the offer of five ministerial posts to the CSSD was excellent, pointing out the mere 7 percent of the vote the Social Democrats received in the 2017 general election.
Babis said no one wanted the early election. “Neither me, nor Zeman, nor the parties,” he added.
He said he did not think Zeman would propose a caretaker government.