Pirate leader to ask Zeman whether he will skip Babiš

Prague, April 15 (CTK) - The Pirates leader, Ivan Bartos, wants to ask President Milos Zeman on Tuesday whether he will entrust a different person than Prime Minister Andrej Babis with forming a government, Bartos told Czech Television (CT) on Sunday.

Bartos said Babis had failed in the talks.

The Chamber of Deputies chairman, Radek Vondracek (ANO), said no one but Babis was able to form the government.

Bartos said there were several options apart from the two cited most often: Babis heading a coalition of ANO and the Social Democrats (CSSD) backed by the Communists (KSCM) or a one-colour ANO government backed by the KSCM and the anti-EU Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD).

Bartos said there could be the repetition of the coalition of ANO, the CSSD and the Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL) from the previous election term or a mixed political-caretaker government. In such a case, the government would not be headed by Babis.

The naming of a different prime minister could unblock the current situation, Bartos said.

Vondracek dismissed the naming of anyone but Babis.

SPD deputy chairman Radim Fiala criticised ANO for its Thursday decision not to discuss the support of the government with the KSCM and the SPD, but to return to the talks with the CSSD.

He said this was a somersault.

Fiala said if ANO changed its mind again, the SPD would be ready for the talks. "A stable government may be formed in a few moments, provided ANO has the courage," Fiala said.