Prague, March 19 (CTK) – The Czech government ANO movement will spend about 50 million crowns on the campaign before the autumn regional election and it intends to win at least in five of the 13 regions and finish second in the other ones, its chairman and Finance Minister Andrej Babis has told CTK.
ANO will be more prepared for the upcoming elections to the regional assemblies and to one-third of the Senate than it was for the local polls two years ago, he said.
Billionaire businessman Babis has long supported his party financially. This year, a loan from him might again cover part of the election budget.
“Our movement is funded in a transparent way. It has taken loans from me. It has one permanent loan that is changing,” Babis told CTK.
In 2014, ANO owed him 65 million crowns, according to its financial report.
The senior ruling Social Democratic Party (CSSD), which is ANO’s main rival in the elections, will spend about 100 million crowns on the campaign. In March, the CSSD launched a campaign highlighting the successes of the government’s first two years.
The third government coalition partner are the Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL).
“The CSSD is selling the work of the whole government. It is the merit of the whole government that we have increased pensions and wages,” Babis told CTK.
The Social Democrats enjoy the advantage of campaigning in most regions from the position of the party holding the posts of regional governors, he added.
The leaders of the ANO lists of candidates for the regional election are Chamber of Deputies deputy chairwoman Jaroslava Jermanova, MPs Margita Balastikova and Radka Maxova and two deputy ministers, also women.
Babis said he cannot see a problem in a possible plurality of offices.
“We prefer the people we have learnt well,” he said, highlighting that 13 of the election leaders are women.
ANO has failed to attract some personalities to join the candidates’ lists, Babis said, adding that he was striving for more businesspeople to contest the seats in the regional assemblies.
ANO is to launch its election campaign in May. It says it wants to lead it in a positive spirit and focus on the topics that influence people’s lives in the regions, such as transport infrastructure, health care, social services, education and employment, Babis said.
