(dpa/GNA) – The government of embattled populist Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis is to face a vote of no confidence on Thursday.
Babis is criticized for having a conflict of interest as a politician and founder of a business conglomerate, and he has been threatened with prosecution for fraud relating to EU subsidies.
He is also accused of failure in the fight against the coronavirus.
Representatives of five opposition conservative and liberal parties announced on Tuesday that they planned to bring the motion.
A simple majority of all 200 members of parliament is required for a successful vote of no confidence. The five parties together have 68 MPs, and additional votes are expected from right-wing MPs.
The attitude of the communist KSCM, which has not yet decided whether its 19 MPs will vote against the government or leave the chamber, is considered decisive.
There’s only been one successful no-confidence vote in Czech history.
Regardless of the outcome of the vote, President Milos Zeman has announced that the Cabinet would remain in office until parliamentary elections in early October.
According to a recent poll by the Median agency, Babis’ ANO party would only come second in an election, with 23 per cent of the vote.
The strongest grouping would be the electoral alliance of the Pirate Party and the Mayors and Independents party with 24 per cent.
GNA