Czech president ready to swear in Babiš as prime minister if conflict of interest is resolved

PRAGUE (AP) – The Czech president said Wednesday he was ready to swear in populist billionaire Andrej Babiš as prime minister within a week if the businessman clarifies how he plans to avoid a conflict of interest that will arise from his private dealings and his new political status.

A law, amended in 2023 and lambasted by Babiš and his supporters, tightened the country’s conflict-of-interest legislation to prevent politicians from combining wealth and power and banned the transfer of ownership to trust funds or relatives as it was possible before.

Babiš owns some 200 companies under the Agrofert conglomerate and is heavily invested in the health care sector. He also has to meet the requirements of a conflict of interest law, or else businesses would not be eligible for state and European Union subsidies.

President Petr Pavel asked Babiš last month to form a new government after his ANO (YES) movement won parliamentary election. ANO and two other small political groups, the Freedom and Direct Democracy anti-migrant party and the right-wing Motorists for Themselves, agreed to form a majority coalition government

The parties have agreed to create a 16-member Cabinet with ANO holding eight posts and the prime minister. The Motorists would have four and the Freedom party three.

During a meeting with the president on Wednesday, Babiš presented his proposed lineup and said he would like to have his new government appointed by the middle of December. Pavel expressed a wish to meet with the candidates.

The most controversial figure suggested by the coalition to join the government was Filip Turek, honorary president of the Motorists, who came under fire after a daily published some posts from his Facebook page, found to be openly racist, homophobic and sexist.

Turek apologized for some, but denied that he posted the others.

Pavel refused his candidacy on Wednesday, saying he was ineligible to become a government minister.

Babiš said after the meeting: “The position of the president is that Mr. Turek should not be a member of the government.”

The role of the president in the Czech Republic is largely ceremonial, but he has to ratify international agreements and Cabinet appointments, including the prime minister.

The three parties forming the coalition are critical of the EU and reject several of its policies, particularly on environment and migration. They are also expected to steer the country away from supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia’s invasion.