Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš survived a second no-confidence vote against his government, requested by the opposition over allegations of continuing conflicts of interest and an excessive deficit in the proposed 2027 budget. The motion was supported by 83 lawmakers in the 200-seat lower house.
It was the second no-confidence vote against the government since Babiš returned to power at the end of 2025. He had previously served as prime minister from 2017 to 2021, a period also marked by allegations of conflicts of interest.
After his first term, Babiš said he had transferred control of Agrofert — an agrochemical and food-processing conglomerate that is the source of his wealth — to the RSVT Trust, led by an independent administrator. He argued that the move brought him fully into compliance with Czech law.
The European Commission, however, concluded that the step was insufficient to eliminate the risk of a conflict of interest. At the beginning of September, it canceled a payment of 3.18 million euros in European subsidies to Agrofert.
Babiš, whom Forbes describes as the seventh-richest person in the Czech Republic, says he does not influence Agrofert and receives no income from it. He still owns SynBiol Group, which invests in healthcare and real estate. Martin Kupka, leader of the right-wing Civic Democratic Party, accused him of “lying to everyone” when claiming that he had resolved the conflicts of interest.
The opposition also criticized the proposed 2027 budget. It sets a deficit of 386 billion korunas, described in the text as 15.8 million euros. That would be the second-largest deficit in the Czech Republic’s history, even though the economy is growing and inflation remains below 2%.
The vote took place ahead of Senate elections and amid stable electoral support for Babiš’s ANO party. Babiš is 72 years old, and the party has at least 30% support in opinion polls.
The prime minister is also accused of an alleged two-million-euro fraud. The case concerns the removal of a farm from the Agrofert group, allowing it to seek European subsidies intended for small businesses. The alleged offense dates back to 2007. Babiš calls the case politically motivated, and in March parliament refused to lift his immunity so that he could face trial.
Source: dnes.bg
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1285 | 2 Oct. 2026 | 09:12
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