Babiš open to cutting proposed budget deficit

Prime Minister Andrej Babiš says he is prepared to partially meet the demands of his coalition partners, the Motorists’ party and Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) , to reduce next year's proposed state budget deficit of 389 billion crowns.

However, he said individual ministries would have to propose savings. Coalition leaders are due to discuss the matter in the coming days.

Finance Minister Alena Schillerová said she was also open to suggestions but added that she only sees room for savings in the order of several billion crowns rather than tens of billions.