President says he may veto proposed cabinet ministers

President Miloš Zeman has said he plans to have the final word in the line-up of the new cabinet. In an interview for Czech Radio on Sunday Mr Zeman said he would veto any proposed minister whom he did not consider to be an expert in the given field. Giving a case in point the president said he would never appoint Martin Stropnický from ANO 2011 to the post of defense minister although, in view of his qualifications, he would have no problem accepting him as culture or foreign minister. Critics say this may be a strategy on the part of the president to keep the interim Rusnok cabinet which he himself handpicked in office for as long as possible.

Author: Jan Velinger