Czech MEP Petr Jezek has ended his cooperation with the ANO movement, which is headed by his country’s prime minister, Andrej Babis.
“ANO is a different movement now and it plays a different role than before,” Jezek said in a letter that was seen by the Czech news agency CTK. He also said ANO has abandoned many of its original ideas which were liberal and pro-European.
As reported by the Prague Daily Monitor, ANO deputy chairman Jaroslav Faltynek said Jezek’s divorce from ANO has been a long-time coming.
“We are glad that he is leaving our movement,” said Faltynek. “We would also welcome it if he gave up his mandate of a MEP that he won [as ANO’s candidate] and for which he earns about 500,000 crowns a month.”