Billionaire Babis to become Czech PM on December 9

PRAGUE

The Czech president has he would appoint billionaire Andrej Babis the premier on Dec. 9 after the businessman vowed to resolve his conflicts of interest by offloading his Agrofert holding.

Babis's ANO won the most seats in a general election in October and teamed up with the far-right SPD and the right-wing Motorists parties, both eurosceptic, for a 108-vote majority in the 200-seat parliament.

"I have decided to appoint him prime minister on Dec. 9, at 9 a.m.," President Petr Pavel said on X.

"This way, I will acknowledge the general election result and the progress in talks on a coalition government," added Pavel, who had formally tapped Babis to negotiate forming a government in late October.

Before naming him, Pavel had urged Babis to first resolve his conflict of interest as the owner of the sprawling Agrofert food and chemicals holding and a top politician.

Babis, who already served as Czech premier in 2017-2021, said on Dec. 4 he would entrust Agrofert to an independent administrator for now, and that his children will inherit the holding after his death.

Questions remain about the Motorists' candidate for environment minister, Filip Turek, who is under investigation for domestic violence and rape following a complaint filed by a former girlfriend.

Turek was also probed by the police over allegations of owning Nazi paraphernalia and giving the Nazi salute, but that case has been shelved.

Babis's new coalition replaces a center-right government in the EU and NATO member of more than 10 million people.