Pilný and Babiš discuss 2018 budget with Zeman at Lány

The minister of finance, ANO appointee Ivan Pilný, and his predecessor in the post, ANO chief Andrej Babiš, discussed next year’s state budget in a meeting with the Czech president, Miloš Zeman, at his Lány residence outside Prague on Sunday. The three also discussed other aspects of the Czech economy, including the labour shortage and European Union subsidies. Mr. Zeman told his visitors that he would prefer to see more of the budget going toward investment and less toward consumption. Mr. Babiš said it had been a standard meeting and that Mr. Pilný had invited him as the original author of the 2018 budget.