Babiš: Poche will never be foreign minister

The Social Democrats’ nominee for foreign minister, Miroslav Poche, has been a very negative force at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, says Prime Minister Andrej Babiš. Mr. Babiš said on a TV discussion show on Sunday that Mr. Poche, who is currently a political secretary at the ministry, would never head the government department.

President Miloš Zeman refused to appoint Mr. Poche and Social Democrats chairman, Minister of the Interior Jan Hamáček, is currently also serving as caretaker foreign minister. The party say they will return to the matter after Senate and municipal elections next month.

Mr. Poche described the prime minister’s words on Sunday as an attack. He said if Mr. Babiš was cooperating with the likes of Hungary’s Viktor Orban he would be hard pressed to find a similarly minded foreign minister within the Social Democrats.

Author: Ian Willoughby