Babiš has been trying to form a government since his landslide victory in an October election but failed to secure parliamentary support for a minority cabinet this month as he also battles allegations of subsidy fraud. He denies any wrongdoing.

The Social Democratic Party (CSSD), Communists, and the far-right, anti-EU SPD party have said they might join a coalition with Babis’ ANO party or support it from outside.

“We will continue negotiations with (those three parties), only in the case of CSSD we want to wait for their convention in February so that we know who in fact represents the party,” Babiš told Czech newspaper Právo in an interview published on Monday.

The Communists have said they want some of their program to be picked up by the government in exchange for their support, while the Social Democrats and SPD have said they will not back a government that includes a person charged with a crime.

Babiš has meanwhile said he would not accept the current Social Democrat leader Milan Chovanec, a former interior minister, in the new government.

“After what I experienced with Mr Chovanec, I definitely will not sit in a government with him,” Babiš told Právo.

Zeman said after his narrow victory in the presidential election on Saturday that he would let Babiš have more time to form a government.

Babiš has insisted his cabinet will take a pro-EU course and not give in to demands to hold a referendum on leaving the European Union, as the United Kingdom did in 2016.