(17 Jan 2014) The leader of the Czech Republic's Social Democratic party was appointed as the country's new prime minister on Friday, following his victory in parliamentary elections in October last year.
Bohuslav Sobotka was greeted by Czech Republic President Milos Zeman for a signing in ceremony at Prague Castle.
The appointment of Sobotka means a return to power for his left-wing party for the first time since 2006.
Sobotka, 42, served as finance minister from 2002 to 2006.
The Social Democrats have signed a deal with two other parties - the centrist ANO (Yes) movement led by billionaire businessman Andrej Babis and the centrist Christian Democrats - to form a centre-left coalition government that has a comfortable 111 seats in the 200-seat lower house of Parliament.
"I'm sure that the Czech Republic will have a stable and strong coalition government very soon," Sobotka said during Friday's ceremony.
His government is expected to be sworn in by the end of January.
Sobotka said he planned to meet Zeman again on Monday to present him with proposals for government posts.
The Social Democrats will get eight ministry posts, including foreign minister, in a government that is expected to have more pro-EU policies than the previous government led by the conservative and euro-sceptic Civic Democratic Party.
ANO will get six ministries with Babis - one of the country's richest businessmen - becoming finance minister.
The Christian Democrats will get three.
The new government's formation will end a political crisis triggered by the previous government's collapse over a spying and bribery scandal in June.
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