Czech Republic: what does the new cabinet stand for?
With all ministers sworn in at Prague Castle on Monday, the formation of the new right-wing populist government consisting of ANO, the Motorists' Party as well as Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) in the Czech Republic is now formally complete. Commentators discuss how the cabinet under Prime Minister Andrej Babiš will position itself, particularly vis-á-vis Russia and Ukraine.
Orbán and Fico would be the wrong partners
Deník hopes Babiš will align himself with the right people:
“Only then will he be invited for coffee by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, his old friend Emmanuel Macron, Italy's Giorgia Meloni, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, or perhaps the Danish prime minister. That's the position that would be good for the Czech Republic. Better than in the 'naughty corner' with Orbán and Fico. ... Because if Babiš truly wants to make the Czech Republic the 'best place to live on the planet,' then Hungary and Slovakia are merely negative examples, ranking at the bottom of the EU by most civilisational standards.”
Relations with Kyiv could turn sour
Pravda worries about the new Czech government's relationship with Ukraine:
“Although Babiš is not Fico and is considerably more pro-European, his stance on Ukraine is far more critical than that of his predecessor. Furthermore, his coalition partners, and especially their voters, are much tougher on Kyiv and more lenient towards Moscow. The new prime minister will have to accept all this and act accordingly, within the framework of the EU. So ahead of Thursday's summit in Brussels, he has already stated that he will not support the use of frozen Russian assets to finance Ukraine's defence spending.”