Petr Fiala, leader of the ODS (Ansa)
Czech Republic: the opposition overthrows Babiš, communists for the first time out of Parliament
Czech Republic. President Milos Zeman in intensive care
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November 06, 2021 The Czech president, Miloš Zeman, and the likely next prime minister, Petr Fiala, have agreed to conduct regular consultations. This was announced by the presidency office, after a video interview between the two leaders. The agreement makes it very likely that Fiala will lead the next government, even if he has not yet formally received the post.
Europeanist Fiala, leader of the center-right alliance Spolu (Together), has already signed an agreement with the liberal Pir-Stan bloc, which unites the Pirates party and the Mayors party, together with which he controls 108 of the 200 seats of the new Parliament that will take office on Monday.
"I can assure you that the president believes that I am the only one who can now form the government," said the political science professor at the end of the video meeting with Zeman. Fiala added that he is ready to present the list of ministers to Zeman as soon as the outgoing premier, the populist Andrej Babiš, has resigned. The latter has already assured that he will resume his mandate immediately after the inauguration of the new Parliament.
Thus, the political and institutional crisis triggered by Zeman's hospitalization in intensive care on 10 October, the day after the elections, which had made it impossible to launch consultations for the new government, begins to conclude.
The president has now been transferred to a normal ward of the Prague military hospital, but continues to be unable to receive visits due to anticovid regulations.
The uncertainty had sparked speculation about the possibility that Zeman wanted to extend the tenure in the government of the populist billionaire Babiš, leader of Action of Dissatisfied Citizens (Ano), his close ally.
Zeman, 77, did not disclose the reasons for the hospitalization, although the press talks about liver problems.