Negotiations on the formation of a new Czech government have entered a decisive phase after election winner Andrej Babiš confirmed that his ANO movement is in talks with Tomio Okamura’s hard-right Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) and Petr Macinka’s anti-establishment Motorists, and that said talks have progressed to divying up ministries.
Together, the three parties would command a majority of 108 votes in the 200-member Chamber of Deputies.
“Yes, we have 108 with the SPD and Motorists, so we are negotiating a joint government,” Babiš said in a video posted to social media on Tuesday. He explained that the SPD’s participation would take the form of “experts, people from the industry who know what’s going on,” while the Motorists plan to nominate politicians who ran for office.
“We discuss the program every day. And when we negotiate everything, then I will go to the president,” he said.
As reported by Echo24, Motorists chairman Petr Macinka confirmed that his movement was seeking “a stable agreement that would be valid for the entire four years of the mandate.” He described the negotiations as “substantive” and said his party “sees a chance to conclude them.” He declined to comment on possible cabinet appointments, saying it would be “unserious” to speculate before the deal was complete.
Macinka also downplayed earlier remarks by Motorists honorary president Filip Turek, who suggested he could become foreign minister. “We have 13 experts here in every field. They are de facto leaders, and any of them could be a minister. But at this point, it would be premature to appoint anyone,” he said.
Turek told reporters that his inclusion in the government was “likely,” but said he would not serve if the SPD controlled the interior or defense ministries. “I would not sit in such a government,” he said. “The SPD should not have defense or interior ministries, given its positions on the EU and NATO.” He added that he would accept the participation of SPD “experts” and found the names discussed “acceptable.”
Speculation has also linked former Supreme State Prosecutor Renata Vesecká to the post of justice minister under the Motorists’ quota, though she declined to confirm it, saying only that her focus would be “the area of law and security.”
President Petr Pavel has described such a three-party government as “a realistically possible option.”
Babiš later confirmed that negotiations had shifted to dividing ministries among the partners. “There is now a debate about the number of ministries. The SPD is part of the government in the form of experts in some ministries, and the Motorists are represented there by politicians. I think that is a good strategy,” he said outside ANO headquarters in Prague’s Chodov district.
Asked about Turek’s possible appointment as foreign minister, Babiš replied only, “I will not comment on that.” He also indicated that SPD leader Tomio Okamura could play a role in the leadership of the Chamber of Deputies, saying, “Hopefully it will work out, we’ll see.”
Babiš attacked the outgoing government of Prime Minister Petr Fiala, accusing it of halting infrastructure projects and underfunding public services. “We can finally start informing people where Fiala’s government has led our country,” he said. “Transport projects have been stopped, and there is no money for healthcare.”
The ANO leader accused Finance Minister Zbyněk Stanjura of misrepresenting budget data. “Construction has stopped. This is unreal. Stanjura cheated, leaving empty coffers. He lied about having some income of 10 billion from the EU. There is a regular lack of 50 to 60 billion in total, so Stanjura normally cheats brutally in the deficit,” he said.
Babiš warned that the next government would inherit what he called a “completely drained country.” Without corrective action, he said, the deficit for 2026 would likely rise beyond what had been planned. “If a solution is not found, next year’s budget will have to have a higher deficit than the planned 286 billion crowns. There is a shortfall of up to 60 billion,” he said, implying the government would not implement austerity measures to address the issue.
