Zeman to charge Babiš with establishing new government

President Miloš Zeman says he will charge ANO’s Andrej Babiš with forming a new government after the party scored a resounding victory in elections to the Chamber of Deputies. Mr. Zeman told the site Blesk.cz that he would change his outlook on the matter only if Mr. Babiš were uninterested in becoming head of government.

The president said he wished to help in the creation of a stable coaltion. He is due to meet ANO leader for the pair’s first post-election talks at his Lány residence near Prague on Monday. Responding to descriptions of Mr. Babiš in the international media, Mr. Zeman said he was not a populist but a pragmatist.