The lower house of the Czech Parliament on Wednesday rejected the opposition's proposal to dismiss the three-party coalition led by populist Prime Minister Andrej Babiš. The attempt to declare a vote of no confidence garnered only 84 votes, falling short of the required minimum of 101 votes, allowing the current cabinet to remain in power after two days of tense debates. This was reported by AP, writes UNN.
Details
The political crisis erupted due to President Petr Pavel's refusal to appoint Filip Turek, a representative of the far-right party "Motorists for Themselves," as Minister of Environment. The head of state justified his decision by citing Turek's archived Facebook posts, which contained openly racist, homophobic, and sexist statements, as well as photographs of the politician making a Nazi salute, which had been published in the media.
In response to the president's actions, the head of the "Motorists" and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Petr Macinka, accused Pavel of violating the constitution and resorted to blackmail, threatening to obstruct the president's participation in the upcoming NATO summit. President Pavel called these actions unacceptable, and on Sunday, thousands of Czechs took to the streets of Prague to express support for the head of state in his confrontation with the populist coalition.
Consequences for foreign policy and support for Ukraine
Despite internal disputes, Andrej Babiš, after meeting with the president on Wednesday, stated that the issue of Turek's appointment was "closed," effectively acknowledging Pavel's victory in this personnel dispute. However, the coalition, consisting of the ANO movement, the anti-immigrant party "Freedom and Direct Democracy," and the "Motorists," continues to implement its agenda, which includes distancing itself from Brussels and curtailing military aid to Ukraine.
The current government, which took office on December 15, 2025, officially advocates for a shift from direct state funding of weapons for Kyiv to purely humanitarian support. Babiš's retention of power means a further shift in the Czech Republic's political vector towards the positions of Hungary and Slovakia, which could significantly weaken the unity of the European Union on security issues.