Babis To Pursue Talks With Communists, Far-Right SPD

Milos Zeman Andrej Babis

Prague, April 11 (CTK) – Prime Minister Andrej Babis (ANO) wants to discuss the recommendation by President Milos Zeman that he should negotiate on a government with the support from the Communists (KSCM) and the anti-EU Freedom and Direct Democracy in ANO’s top bodies, Babis told journalists today.

 

Babis said Zeman had told him on Tuesday that he was surprised at the collapse of the coalition talks between ANO and CSSD last week, although there had already been an agreement on the programme of the government, while only personnel questions were discussed.

 

Babis said Zeman had recommended to him that he should focus on the talks with the Communists and the SPD.

 

For this, Zeman was criticised by opposition parties that have also warned that there was already a de facto coalition of ANO with the SPD and the KSCM in the Chamber of Deputies.

 

“When it comes to (Zeman’s) recommendation I asked our top bodies to have a meeting on Thursday. Perhaps the board and committee will meet. We must make it clear which road to take,” Babis said.

 

On Tuesday, the ANO deputy group confirmed that Babis was the sole candidate of ANO for the post of prime minister.

 

The Social Democrats have refused to enter a government with ANO as Babis is criminally prosecuted over an EU subsidy fraud.

 

Communist leader Vojtech Filip said the Communists wanted to have influence on the choice of some ministers in an ANO government if they were to tolerate it.

 

Babis said there had never been any talk on forming a government along with the KSCM.

 

A minority government of the Civic Democrats (ODS), Pirates, the CSSD, Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL), TOP 09, and Mayors and Independents (STAN) would be a solution to the Czech government crisis, KDU-CSL head Pavel Belobradek said on Tuesday.

 

Belobradek pointed out that such a coalition government would have 85 seats in the lower house of parliament, or seven more than ANO’s minority cabinet of Babis that has been ruling the country although it lost the confidence vote in the lower house in January.

 

Babis said today this was just an attempt at humour. “We are not afraid of the proposal. For us it is a sort of bad joke. It is funny,” Babis said.