New Czech government of populist leader Andrej Babiš wins a mandatory confidence vote

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PRAGUE (AP) — The Czech Republic’s new government led by populist Prime Minister Andrej Babiš won a mandatory confidence vote in the lower house of Parliament on Thursday over its agenda aimed at steering the country away from supporting Ukraine and rejecting some key European Union policies.

Lawmakers voted 108-91 in favor of the coalition in the ballot that every new administration must win to govern.

Babiš, previously prime minister in two governments from 2017-2021, and his ANO, or YES, movement, won big in the country’s October election and formed a majority coalition with two small political groups, the Freedom and Direct Democracy anti-migrant party and the right-wing Motorists for Themselves.

The parties, which share admiration for U.S. President Donald Trump, created a 16-member Cabinet.

The political comeback by Babiš and his new alliance with two small government newcomers are expected to significantly redefine the nation’s foreign and domestic policies.

Unlike the previous pro-Western government, Babiš has rejected any financial aid for Ukraine and guarantees for EU loans to the country fighting the Russian invasion, joining the ranks of Viktor Orbán of Hungary and Robert Fico of Slovakia.

But his government would not abandon a Czech initiative that managed to acquire some 1.8 million much-needed artillery shells for Ukraine only last year on markets outside the EU on condition the Czechs would only administer it but would not contribute money.

The Freedom party sees no future for the Czechs in the EU and NATO, and wants to expel most of 380,000 Ukrainian refugees in the country.

The Motorists, who are in charge of the environment and foreign ministries, rejected the EU Green Deal and proposed the revival of the coal industry.