Czech parliament may vote on trust in government this week

The lower house of the Parliament of the Czech Republic may consider a vote of trust in the government of Andrej Babis on Wednesday.

This plan was announced by the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Tomio Okamura, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"The vote of confidence will take place no earlier than Wednesday," Okamura told journalists on Monday, explaining that he does not expect the vote to happen on Tuesday, when the parliamentary session will begin.

Lawmakers will vote on confidence in a three-party coalition government consisting of ANO, Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD), and the Motorists. It is expected that the Babis cabinet (ANO party) will receive confidence, as the coalition partners hold 108 out of 200 seats. A simple majority of the deputies present is sufficient to express confidence in the government.

Ahead of the vote, Prime Minister and leader of the ANO political movement Andrej Babis will try to persuade coalition partner SPD not to oppose the continued participation of the Czech Republic in the ammunition initiative at the level of coordination, provided that its financing is fully terminated. Babis is scheduled to meet with Okamura's party on Tuesday, which continues to resist the move.

"The SPD position is consistent.... We said before the elections that we do not want the Czech Republic to continue participating in the ammunition initiative," party leader Okamura said. At the same time, he acknowledged that a certain "coalition compromise" was necessary, as the government is only beginning its work.

Parliamentary elections in the Czech Republic were held in early October last year. On December 9, President Petr Pavel officially appointed Andrej Babis as prime minister, and on December 15 the new coalition government was sworn in.

Photo: Poslanecka snemovna Parlamentu Ceske republiky