ANO, SPD and Motorists agree on pension age cap, differ on welfare spending

The ANO party, the Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) party and the Motorists’ party agree that the retirement age should be capped at 65, but their visions for pensions and welfare differ sharply. While ANO and SPD propose higher state spending on pensions, family support and public-sector salaries, the Motorists call for deep cuts. According to experts, fulfilling all their promises would require tens of billions of crowns annually. Negotiators from the three parties are now drafting a joint government programme. SPD leader Tomio Okamura said results should be announced on Friday, but ANO’s Karel Havlíček indicated talks may continue over the weekend. ANO leader Andrej Babiš is on holiday and plans to brief President Petr Pavel on Monday.