Czech President Petr Pavel announced on Thursday evening his decision to appoint billionaire Andrej Babis as prime minister after Babis pledged to transfer his business interests to an independent trust to avoid conflicts of interest.
Babis (71), previously served as prime minister from 2017 to 2021. He was tasked by President Pavel to form a government in early November, following the victory of his ANO party in the October parliamentary elections.
“I have decided to appoint him prime minister on Tuesday, 9 December at 9 a.m.," President Pavel stated on social media platform X. "In doing so, I respect the election results and the progress of discussions on forming a coalition government.”
Although ANO emerged as the largest party in the elections, it fell short of achieving an overall majority. Consequently, Babis entered into a coalition agreement on 3 November with the far-right SPD and the right-wing Drivers’ Voice parties.
The appointment was initially delayed due to President Pavel’s demand that Babis address potential conflicts of interest stemming from his business activities.
Babis is the owner of Agrofert, a conglomerate spanning chemical and food industries, and is listed by Forbes as the seventh wealthiest person in the Czech Republic, a European Union and NATO Member State with a population of 10.9 million.
President Pavel is expected to appoint the rest of the government at a later date, in line with the Czech Constitution.
During his campaign, Babis pledged to prioritise Czech citizens, promising increased social benefits and a reduction in his country’s support for Ukraine.
His return to power may signal closer ties with Hungary and Slovakia, both of which have opposed military aid to Ukraine and hindered sanctions against Russia.
