PM says Pavel Mertlík will be Social Democrat nominee for European Commissioner

Czech prime minister Bohuslav Sobotka has said that his Social Democrat party will nominate former finance minister Pavel Mertlík as the country’s next European Commissioner. He added that the next Commissioner had a good chance of getting one of the more significant portfolios. The term of the current Commission expires at the end of October. Mertlík is currently rector of the Banking Institute. A battle within the government coalition is expected with the ANO party likely to push its candidate for Commissioner as well.