The stalemate over the nominee for Culture Minister continues as both parties refuse to make any concessions in the negotiations. President Milos Zeman and Prime Minister Andrej Babis both contend the Social Democrats nominee Michal Smarda is not qualified for the position and must be replaced by a new candidate. Social Democrat chairman Jan Hamacek ...
Andrej Babis told idnes.cz he wants the Social Democrats to remain in the ruling coalition. He added, if Michal Smarda wants to help his party, he should withdraw his nomination for Culture Minister. Then a new nominee can be named by the CSSD. CSSD head Jan Hamacek said that the CSSD wants to be ...
Prime Minister Andrej Babis has sided with President Milos Zeman and come out against the nomination of Michal Smarda for Culture Minister. According to Babis, Smarda is not qualified to hold the office. “I hold the same opinion as Zeman that Mr. Smarda is not a good candidate. Especially after his countless media appearances,” ...
Following a brief period of calm, the government is in danger of collapse again. Social Democrats are debating how to respond to President Zeman’s refusal to appoint Culture Minister nominee Michal Smarda. In an interview with Denik N, Michal Smarda CSSD’s nominee for Culture Minister said that “President Milos Zeman’s decision did not surprise ...
The leader of the junior coalition party in government, Jan Hamáček of the Social Democrats has written an open letter to Prime Minister Andrej Babiš of ANO regarding the proposed draft budget for 2020 over which the two parties are at odds. Mr. Hamáček wrote that the draft proposal was “unrealistic” and his party’s ...
The Social Democrats’ party leadership on Monday set a final condition for remaining in the minority government of Andrej Babiš – that his ally President Miloš Zeman appoints their nominee for culture minister. But while urging the prime minister to use his constitutional power to ensure the appointment, the party’s ultimatum did not include a ...
The Social Democrat leadership agreed on Monday to support party chairman Jan Hamáček’s mandate to negotiate whether to remain in the minority government of Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO). They also confirmed their choice for culture minister. Some Social Democrats have been calling to exit the government due to a long-running dispute over replacing ...
Social Democrats chairman Jan Hamáček says that President Miloš Zeman communicated that he is ready to accept the resignation of Culture Minister Antonín Staněk by July 31 and will await the result of the Social Democrat leadership meeting on Monday in regard to who Mr. Staněk’s successor will be. The statement was made after a ...
President Miloš Zeman is meeting Social Democrats chairman Jan Hamáček and the party’s minister of culture, Antonín Staněk, at his Lány residence over a dispute that could bring down the government. Mr. Hamáček says his party could walk out of the ruling coalition unless the president complies with his party’s request to remove Mr. Staněk ...
