Prague, Feb 28 (CTK) – The Czech ANO movement of Andrej Babis wants to complete its programme talks with the Social Democrats (CSSD) about a possible coalition government by mid-March, ANO deputy chairman Richard Brabec said after a meeting of ANO and CSSD negotiators on Wednesday.
Even the policy statement of Babis’s current government contains 60 percent of the programme demands raised by the CSSD, Brabec said, referring to the ANO minority cabinet that failed to win parliament’s confidence in January,
He said ANO’s negotiations with the CSSD could only start following the CSSD’s crucial congress, held on February 18, which is why ANO’s talks with other parties, the Communists (KSCM) and the Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD), have progressed further and ANO would like to complete them by the end of next week.
ANO deputies’ group chairman Jaroslav Faltynek said ANO asked at the meeting on Wednesday whether the CSSD can guarantee the support of all its 15 lawmakers for an ANO-CSSD cabinet.
In response, the CSSD leaders referred to the party’s planned internal referendum on whether to form a cabinet with ANO, whose results would be binding on its lawmakers.
Faltynek said ANO would continue negotiating with other parties until its government cooperation with the CSSD is definitively clear.
“While negotiating, we will negotiate with anyone who shows interest in it,” Faltynek said, adding that on the part of the CSSD, the final decision is up to the party’s referendum to be held after April 7.
