Warsaw keeps an eye on neighbouring Czech elections
Czechs will elect their new parliament on Friday and Saturday (20-21 October), with former deputy Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, an anti-migrant Eurosceptic and one of the wealthiest men in the country, set to win the most votes, according to the latest opinion polls.
In his initiatives, Babiš will not restrict himself only to the Visegrád Group, which is strongly connected through a strict anti-immigration policy. With the Austrian conservative election winner Sebastian Kurz, there might be another potential ally, said Babiš, as he is also said to have the same views on migration policy as him.
“The Visegrád Group needs more allies; we need Austria and other countries, in the Balkans, Slovenia, Croatia or maybe even others.”
Difficult government formation ahead
With 78 of the 200 mandates, the ANO movement will be represented as the strongest party in the new Czech parliament. Nevertheless, the billionaire is facing a difficult task of forming a government.
In total, nine parties entered parliament. Bohuslav Sobotka, the incumbent head of government from the Social Democrats, as well as the Christian Democrats, who both formed a coalition with ANO in the previous legislature, already declared they will not enter into a coalition with Babiš. Babiš, on the other hand, said in the Reuters interview that he wants to talk to all parties, but ruled out an alliance with the far right.
In his election campaign, Babiš promised to lower taxes, replace corrupt politicians and cordon off the European borders, so that not a single refugee is taken into the Czech Republic.
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Source link : https://www.euractiv.com/section/central-europe/opinion/babis-searches-for-international-allies-in-anti-immigration-course/
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Publish date : 2017-10-23 07:00:00
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