Political Crisis in the Czech Republic: The Government Resigned

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis resigned after yesterday failed to get a vote of confidence from parliament, world agencies said. The government will carry out its duties until the president appoints a new cabinet. A spokesman for President Milos Zeman said he would accept the resignation of the government by the end of the week. Yesterday, in the vote of confidence in the Babis Cabinet, 195 were deputies out of a total of 200. 78 deputies, all of the Babis party, supported the new government. 117 deputies from the eight other parties represented in the lower house were announced against the cabinet. Babis, whose cabinet is made up of experts and his party's representatives, did not acquire just 23 votes. Those who voted against said they were doing it because of the accusations against him.

Babis, who is a tycoon in the chemical and food industry and holds important media, was accused a few months ago of embezzling European subsidies worth 50 million kronor ($ 2.4 million). The tycoon denies having guilt and claims that the accusations against him are a provocation by his political opponents. Earlier, President Zeman said he would hand over Babis's second term of office to government, but warned he would do so if he secured the support of at least 101 lawmakers in parliament. "The moment Babish comes and tells me he has at least 101 guaranteed votes in the lower house of parliament, I will appoint him for the second time as prime minister," Zeman warned. Babis intends to start talks with the leaders of the other parties in parliament today to secure support for a second government. According to the forecasts of the political scientists, Babis can win the support of the Communists and the Social Democrats, who have a total of 30 MPs in the lower house. But...