President tasks ANO leader with forming new government

President Miloš Zeman has tasked the leader of the ANO Party Andrej Babiš with forming a new government. At a joint press briefing following their meeting at Lany Chateau on Tuesday, the president said he supported Babis’ plan to form a minority government and would appeal to lower house deputies to give it a vote of confidence.

The president said he was strictly opposed to early elections and would give Babiš a second attempt at forming a cabinet if his minority government fails in a confidence vote in the lower house.

Babiš, who was rebuffed by the traditional parties during coalition negotiations, has said he will form a minority government made up of ANO ministers and unaffiliated experts and will ask the lower house for a vote of confidence in his cabinet before Christmas. There is concern that with support from the president he could govern the country for some time even if he failed to win a confidence vote.