PRAGUE (AP) — The new Czech government of populist Prime Minister Andrej Babiš survived on Wednesday a parliamentary no-confidence vote called by the opposition over the handling of a dispute with the country’s president.
Only 84 opposition lawmakers in the 200-seat lower house of Parliament voted in favor of dismissing the three-party coalition government. At least 101 votes were needed to oust the government at the end of a two-day debate.
The controversy revolved around President Petr Pavel’s refusal to appoint a government minister representing the right-wing Motorists for Themselves Euro-skeptic party.
Pavel said that Motorist Filip Turek was ineligible to become the environment minister after a daily newspaper published posts from his Facebook page found to be openly racist, homophobic and sexist.
Turek apologized for some posts, but denied that he posted some others.
Foreign Minister Petr Macinka, head of the Motorists party, then accused the president of violating the country’s constitution and threatened him with consequences, including working to prevent Pavel from representing the country at a NATO summit this year if he fails to appoint his associate. Pavel accused Macinka of blackmailing him.
Babiš has rejected opposition calls to dismiss Macinka, whose party formed a coalition with Babiš and his ANO, or YES, movement that won big in the country’s October election. Macinka has refused to apologize.
The president’s office is largely ceremonial, but one of his key roles is to swear in ministers at the request of the prime minister.
Tens of thousands of Czechs rallied Sunday in the capital, Prague, and elsewhere in support of the president.
The president and the prime minister met Wednesday over the issue. Pavel said his decision not to appoint Turek was final. Babiš said the issue was over for him.
On Dec. 15, Pavel swore in Babiš and his new government, which allied itself with two small political groups, the Freedom and Direct Democracy anti-migrant party and the Motorists.
The coalition’s agenda includes steering the country away from supporting Ukraine and rejecting some key European Union policies.
Unlike the new government, Pavel, a retired army general, and the opposition, are staunch supporters of Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s invasion.
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