Czech Republic: Opposition moves no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Babiš

PRAGUE, September 30 /ATSH-AFP/ – Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš today faces a no-confidence motion presented by the opposition, which accuses him of a continuing conflict of interest and opposes the draft budget for 2027, which it considers too deficit-heavy.

Babiš returned to power in December 2025, after his first term as prime minister from 2017 to 2021, which was also accompanied at the time by accusations of conflict of interest.

He has announced the transfer of the management of “Agrofert”, the food and chemical industry group that created his wealth, to the “RSVP Trust” fund, with an independent administrator in charge.

According to Babiš, this puts him in full compliance with Czech law.

However, the European Commission has considered this measure insufficient.

At the beginning of September, the Commission suspended the payment of 3.18 million euros from EU funds for the group.

The head of the right-wing opposition party ODS, Martin Kupka, has accused Babiš of “lying to everyone” when he declared that he had resolved the conflict of interest.

“Transparency International” has also raised questions about the way the trust is administered.

According to the organization, published documents show that, contrary to Babiš’s statements that the transfer of “Agrofert” was “irreversible” and that his four children would inherit it only after his death, the administration could pass to three of them as soon as he leaves government.

This, according to the organization, would theoretically enable them to return their father to the leadership of the company.

The no-confidence motion was presented on Friday by all the main opposition parties: ODS, STAN, the Pirates, KDU-ČSL and TOP 09.

The opposition also opposes the draft budget for 2027, which foresees a deficit of 386 billion Czech koruna, about 15.8 billion euros.

According to the text, this would be the second-largest deficit in the history of the Czech Republic, while the economy is growing and inflation is below 2%.

The opposition also criticizes what it considers attacks on the media and independent institutions.

During yesterday’s parliamentary debate, Kupka warned against turning the country into a “Babistan”.

The motion comes less than two weeks before local and Senate elections.

According to analyst Josef Mlejnek from the University of Prague, the motion has little chance of being approved. Babiš, together with his SPD allies and the nationalist party “La Voix des automobilistes”, controls 108 of the 200 seats in parliament. /Ad.Ab./ a.jor.