6 months ago
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Populist billionaire Andrej Babis was sworn successful arsenic the Czech Republic's caller Prime Minister connected Tuesday (December 9, 2025), pursuing October's parliamentary election, successful a instrumentality to powerfulness for the businessman.
Mr. Babis, who was antecedently Prime Minister from 2017 to 2021, promised Czechs that helium “will combat for their interests astatine location and anyplace successful the world” and volition bash his utmost for the Czech Republic to go “the champion spot for beingness connected earth”. President Petr Pavel swore successful Mr. Babis arsenic Prime Minister.
Mr. Pavel had asked him to signifier a caller Government aft his ANO oregon YES question won large successful the October 3 and 4 ballot and agreed to signifier a bulk conjugation authorities with 2 different tiny governmental groups, the Freedom and Direct Democracy anti-migrant enactment and the right-wing Motorists for Themselves.
The parties person agreed to make a 16-member Cabinet, with ANO holding 8 posts and the Prime Minister's office. The Motorists would person 4 and the Freedom Party three.
The caller concern makes up 108 seats successful the 200-seat Lower House of Parliament, relegating the 4 centre-right parties of the pro-Western Government led by erstwhile Prime Minister Petr Fiala to the Opposition.
It wasn't instantly wide erstwhile Mr. Pavel mightiness name the full Cabinet. Its assignment is expected to alteration the government's policies.
The caller conjugation is acceptable to travel Hungary and Slovakia, and steer the state distant from supporting Ukraine successful Russia's astir four-year war. The conjugation members are captious of the European Union (EU), rejecting its policies, peculiarly connected the situation and migration.
Mr. Babis, 71, inactive faces fraud charges successful a lawsuit involving EU subsidies, and the caller Parliament volition person to assistance his authoritative immunity for a tribunal to contented a verdict. After helium mislaid the 2021 parliamentary election, helium was beaten by Mr. Pavel, a retired service general, successful a ballot for the mostly ceremonial station of President.
Mr. Babis was appointed aft helium met a information acceptable by Mr. Pavel and publically announced that helium would get escaped of his large businesses to debar a struggle of involvement that could originate from his backstage dealings and his governmental status.
Mr. Babis owns astir 200 companies nether the Agrofert conglomerate. He said an autarkic trustee volition beryllium successful complaint of Agrofert successful a spot fund, portion it volition beryllium nether the power of an autarkic protector until helium dies, and past his descendants volition inherit it.
Mr. Babis besides owns a web of clinics and labs, portion his adjacent state from ANO is simply a campaigner for the caller Health Minister.
