Czech Republic president swears in new coalition government

By KAREL JANICEK
Associated Press

PRAGUE (AP) — A new coalition government has taken office in the Czech Republic and faces the coronavirus pandemic and soaring inflation as immediate policy challenges. President Milos Zeman swore in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Petr Fiala at the presidential chateaux in Lany on Friday. Two political coalitions that together collected a majority of parliament seats in the country’s Oct. 8-9 election signed a power-sharing deal to rule together. The new partnership holds 108 seats in the 200-seat lower house, relegating now-former Prime Minister Andrej Babis and his centrist ANO movement to the opposition. The new health minister has indicated the government was considering extending a 30-day state of emergency to tackle coronavirus infections.