Czech President to Swear in New Government on Friday

Czech President to Swear in New Government on Friday
Newly appointed Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, a former political scientist, gives a press statement in Lany, west of Prague, Czech Republic, on Nov. 28, 2021. (Milan Kammermayer/AFP via Getty Images)
The Associated Press
12/14/2021
Updated:
12/14/2021

PRAGUE—The president of the Czech Republic is set to swear in the country’s new government on Friday.

The prime minister-designate Petr Fiala announced President Milos Zeman’s decision to appoint his 18-member Cabinet after visiting the head of state at the presidential chateaux in Lany, west of Prague, on Monday.

Two coalitions that collected a majority of support in the Oct 8-9 vote have signed a power-sharing deal to rule together led by Fiala as the premier, and he was sworn in on Nov 28.

A three-party, liberal-conservative coalition known as Together, composed of the Civic Democratic Party, the Christian Democrats, and the TOP 09 party, led the election with a 27.8% share of the vote. Together teamed up with a center-left liberal coalition made up of the Pirate Party and STAN—a group of mayors and independent candidates—which came in third place with 15.6 percent of votes.

The new partnership holds 108 seats in the 200-seat lower house of Parliament, relegating populist Prime Minister Andrej Babis and his centrist ANO (YES) movement to the opposition. Babis narrowly lost the election with 27.1 percent.

The five parties in the future governing coalition are closer to the European Union than the euroskeptic Babis.