Social Democrats: situation at culture ministry could provoke constitutional crisis

Prime Minister Andrej Babiš is due to meet with the leader of the Social Democrats, Jan Hamáček, on Friday to discuss the situation concerning the embattled culture minister Antonín Staněk. Mr. Staněk announced his resignation at the end of May following pressure from the Czech cultural scene and his own party and is to be replaced by a fellow party member Michal Šmarda. However, President Miloš Zeman has so far refused to accept his resignation.

The head of the Social Democrats said on Thursday that the situation at the Culture Ministry has almost reached the level of a Constitutional crisis. He also said the party wants the whole thing to be settled by the end of June.

Author: Ruth Fraňková