‘Czech Trump’ set to shift Central Europe away from Brussels
A right-wing Euroskeptic looks set to become the next prime minister of the Czech Republic, pre-election polls have suggested.
Agri-industry tycoon Andrej Babis, dubbed the ‘Czech Trump’ in Western media, is expected to receive about 30% of the votes, beating the current pro-EU ruling coalition Spolu (Together) by around 9%.
Two days of voting ended on Saturday afternoon and early results have suggested that a Euroskeptic who opposes continued aid to Ukraine will form a government. Czech President – and former NATO general – Petr Pavel, has threatened to refuse approval of anyone he deems anti-EU or anti-NATO to any potential cabinet.
Prime Minister Petr Fiala entered the election with the lowest ratings for any Czech government in more than decade, amid public anger over austerity measures and corruption scandals in the administration.
Polls suggest that no party will be able to gain a decisive majority, and that whoever tops the vote will likely have to negotiate a coalition or settle for a minority government.
Babis, a co-founder of the Patriots for Europe faction in the European parliament with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Organ, has promised to cut aid to Ukraine if he returns to office, unlike Fiala, who has been a staunch supporter of Kiev since the Ukraine conflict escalated in 2022.
The 71-year-old has been particularly critical of Prague’s ammunition initiative for Ukraine, calling it “overpriced” and insisting that it should be handled by NATO.
He has previously spoken against Kiev’s membership of the EU and opposes Brussels on immigration and the Green deal.
The Western media has warned that with Hungary and Slovakia already refusing to provide military aid to Kiev and urging a diplomatic end to the conflict, Babis’ victory could tip central Europe even further away from Brussels, both on Ukraine and other issues.
