Zeman to speak to leaders of biggest parties in lower house next week

President Miloš Zeman is set to hold talks with representatives of ANO, the Civic Democrats and the Czech Pirate Party, who came first, second and third in last weekend’s general elections, at his Lány residence next week. In the following fortnight the head of state plans to speak to leaders of the other six parties that made it into the Chamber of Deputies.

Mr. Zeman’s spokesman said he would officially charge the leader of election winners ANO, Andrej Babiš, with forming a new government at their meeting on Tuesday. The president has said he would like to assist in the formation of a stable new government. He plans to convene the first meeting of the new lower house at the latest possible date, 30 days after the election.

ANO and various other parties that reached the five-percent threshold to get into Parliament have been holding a series of meetings on the composition of the new Chamber of Deputies and sounding one another out with regard to possible coalitions.

Author: Ian Willoughby