PM Babiš to meet coalition partners for talks on reducing 389-billion-crown budget deficit

Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) will meet with his coalition partners from the Motorists and Freedom and Direct Democracy party, for talks on the 2027 draft budget. The two junior parties in the ruling coalition both consider the proposed deficit of 389 billion crowns too high and have called for talks on slashing costs. Finance Minister Alena Schillerová (ANO) who will also be present at the meeting, said she is expecting ministers to say where they could economize. Prime Minister Andrej Babiš defended the proposed budget on Wednesday, saying that the government needs to invest heavily in order to boost growth and enable a gradual lowering of the deficit in the years to come.