Czech PM says police reform should not be political issue, cause for coalition collapse

Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka said Wednesday that his Social Democrat party maintains its position that the reorganisation of the police force is a matter for the police and experts with the police president and Minister of Interior taking the lead. Sobotka said it refused to have the police made into a political issue and rejected what it described as pressure from the ANO party to threaten the collapse of the government coalition over the police shake-up. ANO leader Andrej Babiš has threatened to walk out of the coalition if the police reorganisation, including the merger of key anti-corruption and anti-mafia units, proceeds without a real debate about it.Andrej Babiš later said that withdrawing from the coalition agreement did not necessarily mean leaving the government. ANO could stay in the government but would not respect the commitments undertaken previously, he said.

Author: Chris Johnstone