Five parties sign coalition agreement on new Czech government

Representatives of the SPOLU and PirStan election alliances, which successfully challenged Prime Minister Andrej Babiš’ ANO party in October’s general elections,  on Monday signed a coalition agreement on forming a new government. The new administration will be headed by Civic Democrat leader Petr Fiala and the five parties which will be represented in the next cabinet will have a comfortable 108-seat majority in the Chamber of Deputies. The parties have already agreed on the new government’s policy priorities and the division of ministerial posts. President Miloš Zeman, who remains in Prague’s Central Military Hospital, on Friday confirmed that he would name Petr Fiala prime minister designate and said he would do his best to appoint the new cabinet as soon as possible.