Opposition parties unwilling to attend security talks with coalition leaders

Czech opposition parties have cold-shouldered the prime minister’s efforts to find broad consensus on security and defense issues at a meeting of parliamentary party leaders on Thursday. The Freedom and Direct Democracy Party has refused to attend the talks on the argument that the government had already approved a gradual increase in defense spending from 2 to 3 percent of GDP over the next five years without consulting the opposition. The main opposition party, ANO, which is expected to win October’s general elections, said that its presence at the meeting would be a mere formality. ANO party leader Andrej Babiš said he would prefer an open debate on these issues in the lower house. Only the Pirate Party, formerly a member of the ruling coalition, has so far agreed to attend the talks.