Prague, Nov 5 (AFP/APP):Czech President Milos Zeman said Friday he would task Petr Fiala, head of the centre-right Together alliance which won last month’s general election, with forming the next government.
Zeman, who was taken to hospital on October 10, a day after the vote, had so far favoured billionaire Prime Minister Andrej Babis, his ally, whose populist ANO movement came narrowly second.
“It won’t be a problem because Andrej Babis, with whom I have just talked on the phone, is not interested in being the prime minister,” Zeman said on the Frekvence 1 radio station.
“The reason is simple — nobody wants to negotiate with him,” the 77-year-old president added in his first public interview in months.
Together, comprising three centrist and right-wing parties, has formed a coalition with another centrist two-party alliance for a majority of 108 votes in the 200-seat lower house of parliament.
The five parties expect to sign a coalition deal on Monday as the new parliament holds its first session.
Babis said his government would formally resign after parliament meets.
Fiala, who is due to talk to Zeman on Saturday, told the Czech news agency CTK that he welcomed the move.
“I’ll tell the president that our two coalitions struck a deal on the key programme principles very quickly, and that they are ready to form a functioning government as soon as possible,” Fiala said.
Zeman was moved from intensive care to a standard room on Thursday after undergoing treatment following “an impaired intake of nutrients and liquids”, Prague’s military university hospital said.
He has been beset by health issues since early September, with local media saying the president has serious liver problems owing to alcohol.
“It didn’t look too good when they took me to hospital,” said Zeman, who is using a wheelchair as of this year as a result of nerve damage in his legs caused by diabetes.
“The steps taken by the hospital have helped me get back to normal,” he added.
The Czech Republic, an EU and NATO member of 10.7 million people, is currently grappling with fast growth in Covid infections, as well as a steep rise in energy prices.
“I will do everything to help this new government take over as soon as possible,” Zeman said.