ANO, Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD), and the Motorists have agreed on a coalition agreement, which they will sign on Monday, 3 November, when the constituent session of the Czech parliament begins, ANO leader Andrej Babis announced today in a video posted on social media.
Babis, who has been tasked by President Petr Pavel with forming the government after the parliamentary elections, said there will also be a discussion on ANO’s proposal for new procedural rules for the lower house of parliament to make it more efficient. Babis did not give details of the proposal.
“We have an agreed coalition agreement. We have agreed that we will sign it on Monday, 3 November, the day the new Chamber of Deputies sits for the first time,” said Babis. According to Babis, there are still some points to be finalised in the negotiations between the three parties on the policy statement of the possible future government.
Representatives of ANO, SPD and the Motorists will today negotiate not only the policy statement, but also proposals for the leadership of the lower house and individual committees, he said.
Babis is expected to provide President Petr Pavel with the coalition agreement and programme priorities in the second half of this week, according to the Presidential Office.
“Today we will discuss the new rules of procedure of the Chamber of Deputies, and our proposal, which the current government in particular has long been calling for, to change it so that the Chamber of Deputies will be effective,” Babis added.
In the last four years, when ANO and SPD were in opposition, the lower house’s proceedings were often blocked by their obstructions and some sessions dragged on late into the night or even into the following days. Both Babis and SPD leader Tomio Okamura delivered long speeches on several occasions.
In a speech in the Chamber of Deputies in June, President Pavel called for reflection on whether it was time to develop and modify the rules of parliamentary debate. However, amendments to the Chamber of Deputies’ rules of procedure aimed at reducing obstruction and increasing the efficiency of proceedings fell with the elections and the end of the last parliamentary term.
The lower house leadership is due to be elected by MPs on Wednesday, 5 November, the second day of the new parliamentary session. According to current information, Okamura is likely to become the speaker of the lower house. His opponent in the secret ballot will be Christian Democrat (KDU-CSL) nominee Jan Bartosek.
The number of deputy speakers of the Chamber of Deputies is expected to drop from six to four in the new parliament. ANO has announced the nomination of Patrik Nacher, while the Motorists’ candidate is not yet known. Two deputy speaker positions will go to the opposition, namely to the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) and Mayors and Independents (STAN). The Civic Democrats want to nominate Jan Skopecek again, while STAN has announced the nomination of its leader, outgoing Interior Minister Vit Rakusan.
