Miloš Zeman

PRAGUE (Reuters) - Thousands of Czechs protested against Andrej Babis in dozens of cities on Tuesday, a day before his second appointment as prime minister and his second attempt at forming a government.

Zeman said this while he was visiting a town in the east of the country, and after receiving a gift from a Serb supporter there.

The man, who lives in Jakartovice, gave the president a bottle of liquor in gratitude for his consistent refusal to meet with Kosovo officials and appoint a Czech ambassador in Pristina.

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis said on Monday he would continue talks with the three parties that may support his new government after President Milos Zeman's re-election won him more time for the negotiations, reported Reuters. 

Czechs head to the ballot box Jan. 26 and 27 in a tight presidential run-off in the EU and NATO state pitting pro-Russian incumbent Milos Zeman against pro-European rival Jiri Drahos in a race that promises to go down to the wire.

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis resigned after yesterday failed to get a vote of confidence from parliament, world agencies said. The government will carry out its duties until the president appoints a new cabinet. A spokesman for President Milos Zeman said he would accept the resignation of the government by the end of the week.

The new Czech minority government, led by billionaire Andrei Babis, lost the vote of confidence vote after lawmakers rejected the populist who was accused of fraudulent EU subsidies.

"Parliament refuses to express confidence in the cabinet," said parliament speaker Radek Vondrachek.

Three months after the election of the populist Eurosceptic and billionaire Andrej Babis as prime minister, Czechs will once again head to the polls on Friday and Saturday to elect a new president.

An influx of 10 million refugees from Africa threaten the European Union if the community does not strengthen its external borders, Czech President Milos Zeman announced on Thursday evening in an interview with Barrandov, a TV channel in Prague.

Czech President Milos Zeman has called for an end to the EU sanctions imposed against Russia because of the crisis in Ukraine and the measures taken by Moscow to retaliate. The Pro-russian veteran made remarks after meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.

Czech President Milos Zeman believes Russia can become a member of the European Union in the long run. This is what he said this in an interview with TASS, commenting on relations between the EU and the Russian Federation.