Future Czech government coalition pledges continued strong ties with EU, NATO

By Ilayda Cakirtekin

ISTANBUL (AA) - The future government coalition of the Czech Republic on Friday pledged the country's continued membership in the EU and NATO on Friday, reported local bradcaster Radio Prague.

The upcoming coalition of the ANO party, the Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) party and the Motorists’ Party agreed to clearly affirm Czechia’s membership in the EU and NATO in a policy statement.

ANO deputy chairman Karel Havlicek noted that any future referendum will exclude questions about Czechia's geopolitical alignment.

Motorists’ lawmaker Filip Turek, who is seen as the coalition's possible foreign minister, pointed to strong transatlantic relations, including with the US.

In the last parliamentary election, held Oct. 3-4, populist billionaire Andrej Babis' ANO topped the polls with about 34.7% of the vote, comfortably ahead of the governing center-right Spolu coalition, which secured around 23.2%.