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The future of the Czech government hangs in the balance as country’s president and prime minister engage in a tug of war over one man – billionaire Finance Minister Andrej Babiš who is suspected of having dodged taxes and influenced media coverage in a daily he formerly owned against political rivals. The president has said he cannot dismiss Andrej Babiš from office until the prime minister terminates the coalition agreement on which the ruling coalition stands.

Czech politicians have for the most part welcomed the victory of Emmaneul Macron in France’s presidential election run-off on Sunday, with the prime minister and foreign minister among the first to congratulate the centrist candidate following his resounding victory over the anti-EU populist Marine Le Pen of the Front National.

Foreign Minister Lubomír Zaorálek has outlined the Czech Republic’s priorities for its upcoming chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, highlighting above all protection of human rights. Speaking at a conference at the Czernin Palace on Thursday, the minister also presented the Czech Republic’s logo for the chairmanship which is to last from May till November 2017.

Czech Radio’s Prague headquarters was very much the focal point for the Prague uprising against Nazi rule at the end of WWII. And today’s top state personalities assembled on Friday outside the radio building to pay homage to the hundreds who fell at the barricades in Prague and in scattered skirmishes across the country.

The Czech government crisis took an unexpected twist on Thursday when the embattled Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka announced he would not hand in his resignation to President Zeman as expected but would propose the dismissal of Finance Minister Andrej Babiš instead. The prime minister said his decision to resign and bring down the government over Mr. Babiš’ suspect finances had been thwarted by the head of state and no longer made any sense.

The head of the Czech Football Association, Miroslav Pelta, has been questioned by police after he and a number of other people were arrested over corruption allegations. Czech soccer is often in the news for the wrong reasons – but is this its biggest scandal yet?

The Czech government crisis became a bit more confused and a bit more personal in spite of a series of meetings were held at Prague Castle with the aim of clarifying the situation. One issue left up in the air for most of Wednesday was whether the prime would actually hand in the government’s resignation. And relations between the two main parties appeared to widen with the release of tapes, purportedly of ANO leader Andrej Babiš bad mouthing his government coalition colleagues.

Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka dropped a veritable bombshell on the Czech political scene on Tuesday in a surprise announcement his government would resign this week. He took the decision over his Deputy Prime Minister Andrej Babiš’ finances, but almost immediately drew fire for sinking what was regarded as a stable government. The decision to resign, above all, puts the next step in the hands of the president.

Bohuslav Sobotka’s announcement that he would hand in the resignation of his government over Finance Minister Andrej Babiš’s alleged misconduct has been a bombshell on the political scene. Indeed, commentators are suggesting the prime minister’s move is a risky, all-or-nothing gamble. How are things likely to play out? And what role might President Zeman play in resolving the situation? I discussed those questions and more with political commentator Jiří Pehe.

The Czech prime minister, Bohuslav Sobotka of the Social Democrats, says he plans to inform the president of the resignation of his government by the end of the week. Making the surprise announcement on Tuesday afternoon, Mr. Sobotka blamed the situation on ANO’s Andrej Babiš, who he said could not remain in the post of minister of finance.