(10 Jan 2018) The new Czech minority government led by populist billionaire Andrej Babis is facing a mandatory confidence vote in the lower house of Parliament.
Babis' "ANO" (YES) movement won parliamentary elections in October with 78 seats in the 200-seat house.
His government was sworn in in December.
Lacking a majority, the government is expected to lose Wednesday's vote.
None of the eight other parties that holds parliamentary seats has agreed to create a coalition government with "ANO" because they consider Babis unsuitable to lead the government due to allegations of fraud linked to EU subsidies.
Any new government has to win a parliamentary confidence vote to rule.
If Babis' government fails to win it, President Milos Zeman - his ally - said he would ask him to form a government again.
Meanwhile, Babis agreed on Wednesday with a proposal to tax the compensation that the country's churches receive for property seized by the former Communist regime.
The proposal came from the Communist Party, a vocal opponent of the compensation plan.
Under the plan, the nation's churches, including the Roman Catholic and Protestant churches, would get back some of their old property held by the state and they would also get 2.8 billion US dollars over 30 years.
Babis says the compensation is too generous and needs correction.
The move, which needs parliamentary approval, is seen as an attempt from Babis to win support from the Communists in the confidence vote.
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