Cabinet approves 2025 draft budget with a deficit of CZK 241 billion

The Fiala cabinet on Wednesday approved a draft budget for 2025 with a deficit of CZK 241 billion. The proposal won support from all ministers with the exception of Regional Development Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ivan Bartoš who has been dismissed from government posts and will leave the Fiala administration at the end of the month. The government had originally planned for a deficit of 230 billion, but due to flood damage, it widened the deficit to 241 billion. The cabinet also upped the budget for this year so as to cover flood damages, increasing the deficit by CZK 30 billion to CZK 282 billion as a result of the floods.

The prime minister also announced that the regional development portfolio would temporarily be administered by Labour and Social Affairs Minister Marian Jurečka.