Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka’s government survives no-confidence vote in Parliament

Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka’s government on Tuesday survived a no-confidence vote in the lower house of Parliament. Out of 184 lawmakers present only 47 supported the no-confidence motion,105 voted against and 32 abstained.

Opposition parties tabled the motion in protest against a bill approved last week which would extend state support for bio-fuel, which they claim serves the business interests of Finance Minister Andrej Babis. Mr. Babis said that he had not at any point abused his position in the government .During the debate in Parliament Prime Minister Sobotka accused the opposition of being hypocritical, saying that what offended them was not a conflict of interests as they claimed but the changes that were being affected by the centre-left administration.