Lower house debates confidence vote as Babiš rejects prosecution request

The lower house of the Czech parliament continued its debate on Thursday ahead of a crucial vote of confidence in the new cabinet led by Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, the ANO party leader. During the session, Babiš told the Chamber of Deputies that he will not consent to being released for criminal prosecution in the long-running Stork Nest subsidy case. Babiš said he does not question the judiciary as a whole but argued that some judges make politically motivated decisions. The case, involving a subsidy for the Stork Nest complex, has returned to court after higher judges overturned two acquittals. Parliament’s mandate and immunity committee is due to examine the request next week, alongside a separate case concerning Tomio Okamura of the Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) party.