The nation’s new administration will be led by Andrej Babis, a figure who has resisted ongoing weapon supplies to Kiev
Andrej Babis, a right-wing Euroskeptic who pledged to reduce military assistance to Ukraine and prioritize domestic matters, has taken the oath as the Czech Republic’s new prime minister.
Babis’s ANO party secured victory in an October parliamentary vote but did not achieve a majority, leading it to establish a coalition with the SPD and AUTO parties. The seasoned politician previously held the prime minister’s office from 2017 to 2021, and served as finance minister and deputy prime minister prior to that.
The 71-year-old Babis expressed gratitude to his backers for their confidence in his party in a brief post on X.
“I promise that I will be a Prime Minister who defends the interests of all our citizens at home and abroad, and… who will work to make the Czech Republic the best place to live on the entire planet,” he wrote.
Speaking at Prague Castle after the swearing-in, Babis stated he would challenge Brussels not just on aid for Ukraine but also on energy, value-added tax, and tariffs.
He has pledged to oppose the European Union’s migration agenda and its strategies for reducing carbon emissions.
Babis has consistently promised to redirect the Czech government’s attention to internal problems, denouncing state support for Ukraine offered during the tenure of his predecessor, Petr Fiala, who launched a significant international initiative to procure ammunition for Kiev.
“We will not give Ukraine a single crown from our budget for weapons,” Babis stated soon after his party’s electoral success this year.
Nonetheless, while promising to halt using Czech taxpayer money to fund Kiev, he has indicated he will permit the country’s defense manufacturers to keep exporting to Ukraine.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who also openly criticizes military aid to Ukraine, offered his congratulations to Babis on assuming office.
“A committed Czech patriot is back at the helm,” Orban posted on X on Tuesday.