Six months before an election that he is expected to lose,
Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka on Tuesday said he would step down. The
decision effectively meant his entire cabinet would also resign.
The first directly elected Czech president will seek
re-election in 2018. Milos Zeman is one of the few European politicians who
openly supported Donald Trump during the US presidential election.
Sobotka, whose social democrats lead a three-party coalition
with finance minister Andrej Babis' centrist ANO movement, said it was vital
that the former businessman answer accusations about his affairs.
"I will shortly present my resignation to President
Milos Zeman. It is unacceptable for Andrej Babis to stay on as finance
minister," Sobotka announced at a hastily-arranged news conference.
Babis, who ran the Czech conglomerate Agrofert, is accused
of not fully explaining whether he avoided paying taxes in the past. The
allegations also relate to his use of legal loopholes to issue tax-free bonds
when he put his assets into a trust earlier this year.
Doubts have also surfaced about how Babis, who is dubbed the
"Czech Berlusconi" after the Italian businessman and ex-prime
minister, became wealthy.
Babis' ANO movement is currently leading the social
democrats in most opinion polls by double digits, as October's parliamentary
elections loom. Babis also has high personal approval ratings.
He has denied any
wrongdoing and has refused to resign. Last week, he accused Sobotka of trying
to fire him.
Andrej Babis is a popular politician, and his centrist ANO
movement is on course to win October's election
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