Final Word from Tuesday, February 20, 2018

STAN has understood that even a mini-party with six seats in Parliament can play a major role in the formation of a government. It is now ready to talk with ANO, but two of its four preconditions are "no collaboration with extremists - KSČM and SPD" and "a person charged with a crime may not be a cabinet member." MP Jan Farský of STAN says that these conditions are absolute, while STAN Chair Petr Gazdík says that the degree to which the four conditions were met would determine the form of support. Would STAN perhaps be willing to walk out of the chamber with the Communists in order to allow a government of ANO and ČSSD, with Andrej Babiš as PM, to win approval? This could permit Babiš to avoid calling on the Communists to actively compensate for any Social Democrats who refused to throw in with him (e.g. Sobotka, Chovanec, Zaorálek). STAN's value would be rather high, but it must first decide whether it is truly ready to negotiate. [Czech Republic mayors Bohuslav Milan Lubomír]