ANO movement will “theoretically” be the closest partner for the opposition Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) after the next Czech parliamentary elections, SPD chair Tomio Okamura said. Photo: Tomio Okamura via SPD official website.
Prague, 21 Aug (CTK) – ANO movement will “theoretically” be the closest partner for the opposition Freedom and Direct Democracy after the next Czech parliamentary elections, SPD chair Tomio Okamura said on today’s Partie discussion programme on CNN Prima News.
Asked who the SPD would like to govern with, he said this.
He also mentioned that he knows that former Prime Minister Andrej Babis’s movement is internally negotiating cooperation with the ruling Civic Democratic Party (ODS). The regular date of the parliamentary elections falls in the autumn of 2025.
“The closest possible partner will be the parties that will eventually get into the lower house and have nothing to do with Fiala’s ruling five-coalition,” Okamura said. “Theoretically, the closest partner would be the ANO movement because there is no other opposition party,” he said.
“The important thing is to make such a result so that we are the tip on the scales. In the last term, we almost managed to do that. It is realistic. The hares are counted after the hunt,” he described the SPD’s election goals.
“I know there are internal meetings between ANO and ODS. I am curious. If ANO wants to go with ODS, I don’t think their voters would welcome that,” he noted without further details.
In an interview published today, a senior ODS member Milos Vystrcil told the daily Pravo that he rejects cooperation with ANO at the government level altogether. He said the Civic Democrats should stay away from the opposition ANO movement.
