Czech PM candidate Babis: best to approve 2018 budget as proposed by outgoing govt

PRAGUE: The Czech parliament would best approve the 2018 budget as proposed by the outgoing government, prospective Prime Minister Andrej Babis said on Monday.

The outgoing government, in which Babis was finance minister until May, proposed a 50 billion crown ($2.31 billion) deficit for next year, after a 60 billion gap planned for this year.

Babis's cabinet is due to be appointed on Dec. 13, raising the risk that the country will run on a provisional budget temporarily early in January.

Parties in the outgoing government, which together have majority in parliament, have all supported the budget draft.