The three-party coalition government (ČSSD, ANO and KDÚ-ČSL) led by Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka (ČSSD) passed a confidence vote in the lower house of the Czech Parliament last night. In the discussions preceding the vote, opposition representatives argued that it wasn’t clear how the government plans to finance its program, a question echoed by President Miloš Zeman. However, the cabinet garnered 110 votes, a 10-vote majority. Two parties, including the communist party, refused to take part in the voting. Prime Minister Sobotka said that the government’s program will support economic growth. Before raising taxes, the new government said it will search for ways both to save on the state’s operational costs and to increase revenues through more efficient tax collection.
