Babiš admits next year’s state budget deficit will exceed this year’s

Prime Minister Andrej Babiš admitted that next year’s state budget will have a higher deficit than this year. He justified this by the need for investment. The first budget proposed and approved by Babiš’s coalition government counts on a deficit of 310 billion crowns. It was signed last week by President Petr Pavel and came into effect on Saturday, ending the period of provisional budgeting. According to Babiš, the size of the deficit will be determined by the investments the Czech Republic needs. “We must invest in healthcare, that is the top priority, in mental health, we must continue with transport infrastructure. We must of course invest in security. We will see how it all turns out,” he said. Although it is only March, the government must already begin discussing next year’s budget, he added.