Motorists seek 20bn crown cut in 2027 budget deficit

The Motorists' party presented its demands on next year’s state budget at a meeting with Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) on Thursday. The proposals could reduce the planned deficit by 20 billion crowns.

No agreement has yet been reached with ANO, and talks will continue on Monday, party leader and Foreign Minister Petr Macinka told reporters. He reiterated that the proposed 389-billion-crown deficit was excessive and said his party was not interested in a merely cosmetic reduction of one, two or five billion crowns. He ruled out cuts in defense.

The other junior party in the ruling coalition, Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) is also calling for a lower deficit.

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.