Czech PM Babiš Survives Second No-Confidence Vote Amid Budget and Ethics Controversies
Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš’s coalition government survived a second no-confidence motion in parliament, with only 83 votes cast in favor, falling 18 votes short of the 101 required to remove the cabinet. The vote occurred less than two weeks before local and senate elections, following a three-day debate over the government’s proposed 2027 budget, which includes a deficit of 386 billion koruna (approximately €15.8 billion), the second-largest in the country’s history. Critics also raised concerns about Babiš’s alleged unresolved conflict of interest. The opposition’s failure to topple the government leaves Babiš’s coalition in power ahead of the upcoming elections.