Andrej Babiš has met with Czech President Petr Pavel and is set to discuss with other party leaders as the billionaire populist begins the challenging task of forming a stable government. His ANO (Yes) party won the parliamentary elections but did not secure a majority.
Final results from the Friday and Saturday vote showed ANO received 34.5% of the vote, giving it a provisional 80 seats in the 200-member parliament. The center-right Spolu coalition, led by outgoing Prime Minister Petr Fiala, came in second with 23.4%.
Before the talks started on Sunday, Babiš, a divisive figure whose previous term as prime minister from 2017 to 2021 sparked large protests, said, “I have promised to present the president with a solution that complies with Czech and European laws.”
Although he has celebrated the “historic result” as the “absolute peak” of his political career, Babiš faces major obstacles to becoming prime minister and gaining and maintaining support for the single-party minority government he aims to lead.
Analysts suggest that even if he succeeds, Babiš is unlikely to fully align with the populist, authoritarian leaders of Hungary and Slovakia, Viktor Orbán and Robert Fico, as a committed member of the EU’s awkward squad.
Three parties have already refused to form a coalition with ANO, pushing Babiš to seek support from right-wing fringe groups. “We will negotiate with the SPD and the Motorists and aim for a single-party government led by ANO,” he stated.
Babiš, the country’s seventh-wealthiest individual with an estimated net worth of $3.9 billion, campaigned on promises of faster growth, higher wages and pensions, and lower taxes. He also pledged to oppose the EU’s migration pact and green deal and to end the “Czech initiative” supplying shells to Ukraine, instead supporting Kyiv solely through the EU.
ANO finds common ground with the far-right SPD, which also opposes EU climate and immigration policies, as does the smaller right-wing Motorists party. The more extreme SPD, which is pro-Moscow, anti-NATO, and anti-EU, campaigned on a “Czexit” promise to withdraw the Czech Republic from the EU, a proposal Babiš has firmly rejected. He has repeatedly emphasized that his party is “pro-European and pro-NATO.”
Both the Motorists and SPD have expressed openness to talks with ANO, but it remains uncertain whether they will support a minority ANO government or seek a formal coalition agreement, and how long such support might last.
Analysts pointed out that the SPD’s vote share was significantly lower than the 13% predicted before the election, weakening its negotiating position in any confidence-and-supply arrangement.
Even if Babiš manages to present President Pavel—who defeated him in the 2023 presidential election—with a multiparty agreement securing a 101-seat majority in parliament, his challenges may persist. Pavel stated before the election that he would not appoint any ministers advocating for the Czech Republic’s withdrawal from the EU or NATO. He is also seeking legal advice on a potential conflict of interest involving Babiš himself.The government has promised to resolve the issue, but President Pavel has the constitutional right to reject Andrej Babiš as prime minister if he deems the proposed solution insufficient. While this is unlikely to occur, it may prompt the billionaire to reconsider his cabinet choices.
Far-right European leaders such as Viktor Orbán, who declared on social media that “truth has prevailed,” and France’s Marine Le Pen, who stated that “patriotic parties” are being “called to power across Europe,” have congratulated Babiš.
However, despite ANO’s membership in the far-right Patriots for Europe bloc in the European Parliament and Babiš’s self-proclaimed admiration for Orbán, the EU’s chief disruptor, it remains uncertain how closely he will align with the anti-EU faction.
Analysts note that Babiš’s approach is more pragmatic than ideological, making it unlikely he will provoke a major confrontation with Brussels, especially since the Czech Republic relies on EU funding and his businesses benefit from the union.
Domestically, Czech institutions are expected to restrain the billionaire, as the senate can block any radical changes by vetoing electoral or constitutional reforms and must approve appointments to the constitutional court.
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs about Andrej Babis negotiations to form a stable government with clear and direct answers
BeginnerLevel Questions
1 Who is Andrej Babi
Andrej Babi is a Czech billionaire politician and the leader of the ANO party He served as the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic from 2017 to 2021 and is a prominent often controversial populist figure
2 What does forming a stable government mean
It means creating a governing coalition with enough parties to secure a majority of seats in Parliament This majority allows the government to pass laws approve the state budget and govern effectively without being constantly at risk of collapsing
3 Why is it taking so long to form a government
Forming a government is a complex negotiation process Parties must agree on a shared policy plan and decide who gets which ministerial positions Disagreements on key issues or personal rivalries can slow this process down significantly
4 What is a coalition government
A coalition government is formed when two or more political parties agree to govern together because no single party won an outright majority in the election They combine their seats in parliament to create a ruling majority
IntermediateLevel Questions
5 What are the main challenges Babi is facing in these negotiations
The main challenges are
Finding willing partners Many parties campaigned on a promise not to cooperate with Babi due to past conflicts or ongoing fraud investigations against him
Policy compromises Potential partners may demand significant changes to his partys proposed policies on issues like taxes pensions or EU relations
Personal conflicts Past disagreements and personal animosity between political leaders can be a major barrier to a stable partnership
6 What happens if he cant form a government
If Babi fails the President asks another political leader to try If no one can form a government the country would likely hold a new snap election
7 What is a minority government and is that an option for Babi
A minority government is one that does not have a majority of seats in parliament and must seek support from other parties on a casebycase basis to pass legislation It is an option but it is inherently unstable and difficult to manage
