Andrej Babiš

Andrej Babiš
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Name	Andrej Babiš
Caption	Babiš in 2019
Office	Prime Minister of the Czech Republic
Term start	6 December 2017
Term end	17 December 2021
President	Miloš Zeman
Predecessor	Bohuslav Sobotka
Successor	Petr Fiala
Office2	Minister of Finance
Term start2	29 January 2014
Term end2	24 May 2017
Primeminister2	Bohuslav Sobotka
Predecessor2	Jan Fischer
Successor2	Ivan Pilný
Party	ANO 2011
Birth date	2 September 1954
Birth place	Bratislava, Czechoslovakia
Spouse	Monika Babišová (m. 2017), Beata Adamovičová (m. 1974–1979)
Alma mater	University of Economics, Bratislava
Occupation	Businessman, politician

Andrej Babiš is a Czech politician, businessman, and former Prime Minister of the Czech Republic who served from 2017 to 2021. He is the founder and leader of the populist political movement ANO 2011, which became a dominant force in Czech politics. Prior to his political career, Babiš amassed significant wealth as the owner of the Agrofert conglomerate, one of the largest companies in the Czech Republic. His tenure was marked by pro-business policies, Euroscepticism, and numerous legal and ethical controversies.

Early life and business career

Andrej Babiš was born in Bratislava in the former Czechoslovakia and graduated from the University of Economics, Bratislava. He worked as a foreign trade representative for the state-owned company Petrimex during the communist era. Following the Velvet Revolution in 1989, he transitioned into the private sector, founding the Agrofert holding company in the early 1990s. Through a series of acquisitions, often involving assets privatized from the state, Agrofert grew into a massive conglomerate with interests in agriculture, chemicals, food processing, and media, including ownership of major newspapers like Mladá fronta DNES and Lidové noviny. His business success made him one of the wealthiest individuals in the Czech Republic.

Entry into politics

Babiš entered politics in 2011 by founding the ANO 2011 movement, campaigning on an anti-corruption and anti-establishment platform. The party performed strongly in the 2013 Czech legislative election, finishing second and joining a coalition government led by Social Democrat Bohuslav Sobotka. Babiš served as Minister of Finance from 2014 to 2017, where he advocated for balanced budgets and digitalization of tax administration. During this period, he faced increasing scrutiny over conflicts of interest between his political role and his ownership of Agrofert, which led to his dismissal from the cabinet in 2017 following a political crisis.

Prime Minister of the Czech Republic

Following the 2017 Czech legislative election, where ANO 2011 won a plurality of seats, Babiš formed a minority government with the Czech Social Democratic Party and tacit support from the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia. His government focused on economic management, opposing deeper European integration and mandatory European Union quotas for migrant redistribution. Major domestic policies included increases in pensions and public sector wages. His first cabinet lost a vote of confidence, but he was reappointed by President Miloš Zeman and eventually formed a second minority government in 2018. His premiership coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic, during which his government faced criticism over its handling of the health crisis.

Political positions and controversies

Babiš's political stance is characterized as populist, centrist, and business-friendly, with strong Eurosceptic tendencies, often aligning with figures like Viktor Orbán of Hungary. His career has been engulfed in numerous controversies, primarily relating to his business affairs. He faced criminal charges, of which he was acquitted in 2023, in the "Stork's Nest" fraud case concerning European Union subsidies. A 2019 European Commission audit concluded he was in a conflict of interest regarding Agrofert receiving EU funds. His ownership of a large media empire raised concerns about media freedom and political influence. These issues fueled massive public protests, such as those organized by the "Million Moments for Democracy" initiative.

Personal life and wealth

Andrej Babiš is married to his second wife, Monika Babišová, and has four children. He maintains a significant public profile, often emphasizing his self-made success story. According to Forbes magazine, he consistently ranks among the richest people in the Czech Republic, with his wealth primarily tied to the Agrofert conglomerate. In 2017, he placed his vast business holdings into two trust funds to comply with revised conflict-of-interest legislation, though critics argued this did not fully sever his control. He owns extensive properties, including a farm in the village of Čapí hnízdo and a luxury apartment in Bratislava.

Category:Prime Ministers of the Czech Republic Category:Czech businesspeople Category:Members of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic