PRAGUE — Czech President Petr Pavel said Sunday that a strong pro-NATO and pro-EU stance, along with safeguarding democratic institutions, will be key factors in appointing the country’s next prime minister and Cabinet.
Pavel said it’s still “premature” to speak of any names for who will get the mandate to form the next government, after right-wing populist Andrej Babiš and his ANO movement gained a decisive victory in Czech parliamentary elections.
“There are certain priorities that I will continue to emphasize. The main one is a pro-Western direction for our country, that is, remaining in the EU and NATO,” Pavel told journalists at a press conference at the Prague Castle.
Pavel earlier said on the Bruselský diktát podcast that he wouldn’t appoint ministers who advocate Czechia’s withdrawal from NATO or the EU.
“My other priorities include preserving all the institutions of a democratic state, whether it’s the role of public service media, public universities, the security services and their independence, or the independence of the judiciary and the public prosecutor’s office,” Pavel said.
“These are certainly parameters I will monitor in all my discussions leading to the formation of a new government,” he added.
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Pavel held meetings on Sunday with several party leaders who secured seats in the Czech parliament’s lower house in this weekend’s elections, which were dominated by Babiš and his right-wing ANO party. Pavel will meet with the rest of the party leaders on Monday.
“It’s still too early to discuss a mandate to form a government,” Pavel said. “It will only make sense to discuss this once there’s a clearer outline of a government that could realistically secure the support of the Chamber of Deputies. And we’re not there yet,” he said, adding that he assumes the inaugural session of the new Cabinet will take place in November.
In Czechia, the president holds a key constitutional role, meeting with party leaders after elections to explore possible coalitions. Usually, the winner of the election is given the first chance, but the president ultimately decides who will be tasked with forming a government, choosing the leader most likely to secure a majority in the 200-seat lower chamber of parliament.
Once a government with at least a 101-seat majority is established, the president appoints the prime minister and ministers, but the government must still win a vote of confidence.
Babiš on Saturday said he will seek to form a minority government supported by the right-wing populist Motorists for Themselves and far-right Freedom and Democracy (SPD) parties.
Pavel previously said he is consulting lawyers on the question of whether to block Babiš over the conflict of interest posed by the tycoon’s large agriculture empire Agrofert. Pavel said he has discussed the matter with Babiš.
CZECHIA NATIONAL PARLIAMENT POLL OF POLLS
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For more polling data from across Europe visit POLITICO Poll of Polls.
“Andrej Babiš confirmed … that if he is given the mandate to form a government and is appointed, he will resolve the conflict of interest in accordance with the law,” said Pavel, adding that there are several options.
“He even showed me some of them, but I won’t comment further for now until it becomes relevant. But the options he proposed are indeed all ways to comply with the law,” added Pavel.
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