PRAGUE - A series of programmatic meetings between the ANO, SPD and Motorists teams continued in the lower house of parliament, which are expected to result in a joint government agreement. The text of the programme declaration is, according to ANO first deputy chairman Karel Havlíček "roughly 95 percent complete.". Today's meeting focused mainly on the chapters on diplomacy and culture, Czech Television reported. Negotiators are expected to finalise the remaining areas, in particular science and digitalisation, over the weekend.

According to Havlíček, the declaration will clearly declare that the Czech Republic remains firmly anchored in the European Union and the North Atlantic Alliance. "It will be written in the text in no uncertain terms," he told reporters. As news server iDNES.cz reported, the document also explicitly states that any referendum will not concern the geopolitical or security direction of the country.

According to Deník N, the meeting revealed that ANO wants to act as "a confident and active player", which promotes change in a constructive way. The movement profiles itself as pro-European, but at the same time critical of some EU processes. Havlíček said concrete proposals for reforms would be presented next week.

Culture and media were among the most discussed topics. SPD chairman Tomio Okamura told Právo that much of today's debate revolved around the public media. The motorists, who, according to previous proposals, should be given the Culture Ministry, reportedly came up with "a very good concept" cultural program. The SPD is satisfied with the outcome of the negotiations. As Deník.cz reported, the parties also discussed educational topics, such as inclusion in education, where different attitudes persist.

As for the referendums, Havlíček insists that they must not interfere with the country's foreign policy. The SPD, however, continues to advocate a broader framework of direct democracy. According to Novinky.cz, Okamura suggested that at least a general reference to "national referendum", the specific form of which has not yet been determined.

The general direction of the negotiations is already apparent. The Czech Republic will remain a firm part of the European Union and NATO, while the newly formed coalition wants to appear more confident on the European stage. According to Czech Television, the programme statement is almost ready and the detailed text is expected to be published in the next few days. Experts expect most attention to focus on the shape of planned European reforms and compromises in the areas of culture and education.

gnews.cz - GH