Zeman endorses state budget ahead of vote

President Miloš Zeman has endorsed the draft state budget but expressed some reservations, calling out "unnecessary expenditures", chief among them for promoting renewable energy resources.

Zeman’s comments came in a speech before a vote at the lower house of Parliament on the draft budget, which proposes a deficit of 40 billion crowns for both this year and in 2019.

Opposition parties have criticised the ANO-Social Democrat coalition government for promoting deficit spending during a time of economic growth. A vote was not expected until late evening Wednesday or the early hours of Thursday.