Prime minister asks president to dismiss embattled culture minister

Prime Minister Andrej Babiš has sent an official request to President Miloš Zeman asking him to dismiss Culture Minister Antonín Staněk and to appoint Social Democratic Party nominee Michal Šmarda in his place.

The prime minister sent the request on Friday morning following a meeting with Mr. Šmarda at which he agreed to support his nomination despite having reservations regarding the party’s choice of successor.

President Zeman, who earlier refused to accept Minister Staněk’s resignation is bound by law to comply with the request, but he said on Thursday that the Constitution did not set any time limit by when he was bound to do so. Constitutional experts agree that he should do so without further delay.