Andrej Babiš, the self-styled billionaire who secured victory in the recent Czech election, has declined to sell his extensive corporate assets, while insisting he will address a conflict of interest that might prevent him from taking the position of prime minister.
Babiš, whose ANO party came first in the October election but did not secure a parliamentary majority, stated in a social media post that he would not sell his Agrofert conglomerate, which is active in farming, food production, and chemical industries.
“I have repeatedly said I will never sell Agrofert. I have repeatedly stated I will resolve the conflict of interest in accordance with national and European laws,” the billionaire commented. “This is different from selling a pastry in a bakeshop.”
The head of state, Petr Pavel, stated that the elderly populist must publicly explain how he will eliminate conflicts of interest arising from his business activities before assuming the role of prime minister.
The Czech constitution “explicitly requires the president to take into account the potential occurrence of a conflict of interest and the ways to address it” when appointing cabinet members, Pavel's office explained.
The president “wants it to be clear in what specific way Andrej Babiš will fulfil his constitutional and legal obligations”, the statement added, stating that Pavel was prepared to designate Babiš as premier “without delay” once the matter was settled.
Babiš's numerous firms, mostly under the Agrofert group, function in the nation and other central European states, receiving substantial funds in domestic and European farming and other grants, as well as public contracts.
Under Czech law, government ministers are barred from receiving state support or agreements. The anti-corruption organization Transparency International has indicated that to avoid a conflict of interest, Babiš must either sell, decline government deals, or stay out of public office.
Babiš affirmed he would “follow the laws” if appointed as prime minister, but declined to explain how in advance because the matter was “an extremely sensitive and private affair for me, and the media will always criticise me anyway”.
During his initial tenure as premier, from 2017 to 2021, Babiš faced several court cases and an European inquiry over potential conflicts of interest. He placed his assets into trust funds, while retaining some influence over them.
A court and the European Commission both ruled that this was insufficient. Babiš confirmed recently that he was again the exclusive proprietor of Agrofert and maintained he was “taking steps” to avoid a ethical problem, but refused to reveal details.
The wealthy politician has concluded a coalition agreement with two rightwing fringe parties, the ultra-conservative, Russia-friendly SPD, which has called for a referendum on exiting the EU, and the Motorists for Themselves, which has primarily opposed the EU’s Green Deal.
The new government, if approved, is likely to strengthen the populist movement in the region and could challenge western support for Ukraine – although Babiš has contacted Ukraine’s leader, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to confirm of Czech support.
Pavel, who as president has a role for foreign policy, also demanded that the government agenda add a declaration on the official stance on Russia’s war in Ukraine, with a commitment to meeting alliance duties.
The president has previously said he would not approve any ministerial nominees who might question the nation's EU and Nato commitments, a condition that the ultra-conservative party has said it will meet by nominating independent technocrats.
