Babis triumphs in the Czech Republic: An end to arms deliveries?

Babis triumphs in the Czech Republic: An end to arms deliveries?

Andrej Babis, the Czech billionaire and founder of the ANO party, has won the parliamentary elections in the Czech Republic. After nearly 99 percent of the votes were counted, his party achieved 34.9 percent, making it the strongest political force in the country. This marks a comeback for Babis, who spent the last four years in opposition and most recently suffered defeat in the 2023 presidential election. Agree reports that Babis celebrated his election victory with promises of lower taxes and cheaper energy while inflation hit double digits in 2023.

His direct rival alliance, the center-right Spolu alliance, led by Prime Minister Petr Fiala, suffered a decline to 23 percent. Fiala congratulated Babis after the results were announced and accepted the election result. The mayor's party got 11.1 percent, while the Pirate Party achieved just under 8.8 percent. These defeats are the result of discontent among the population due to high inflation rates, which manifested resistance in many constituencies. ORF reported that the left-wing alliance Stacilo! At just 4.3 percent, it remained well below the necessary five percent hurdle.

Political plans and challenges

Babis is now planning a “monochrome” ANO government that could rely on the toleration of the motorists (7 percent of the vote) and the right-wing populist Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD). The SPD has already called for a referendum on leaving the EU and the NATO alliance as well as the return of 383,000 Ukrainian refugees to their homeland. Political scientist Lukas Jelinek expressed concern that such a coalition could endanger the Czech Republic's pro-Western stance.

A controversial point in the campaign strategy was Babis' announcement that he would end all arms deliveries to Ukraine. Since the start of the so-called “grenade initiative,” the Czech Republic has delivered around 3.5 million rounds of ammunition to Ukraine. This turn of events was criticized by many, as the Czech Republic was previously seen as a staunch ally of Ukraine. However, Babis emphasized that he was for the EU and NATO and expressly rejected accusations of a pro-Russian stance.

Investigations and Interests

In the background of the political situation are ongoing investigations against Babis, including for money laundering and tax fraud in connection with a castle purchase in France. A court also overturned his acquittal in the so-called “Stork's Nest” affair, which concerns alleged abuse of EU subsidies. Babis owns over 250 companies, creating a significant conflict of interest and raising broader concerns about his political decisions.

Babis, born in Bratislava in 1954 and founder of the agricultural and chemical group Agrofert, has private assets of around 3.9 billion euros. Massive protests erupted under his first term, with a 2019 demonstration among the largest in Czech history with 250,000 participants. President Petr Pavel will now begin consultations on Sunday about forming a government, which is likely to be important in a new political framework.