Czech President Pavel demands Babiš resolve conflict of interest before appointment

The President of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel, continues to demand that the candidate for prime minister, Andrej Babiš, publicly declare how he intends to resolve his conflict of interest before he is appointed head of government.

The president’s press office announced this.

Today Pavel welcomed ANO movement leader Andrej Babiš at Prague Castle and discussed the formation of the government and some aspects of security policy.

“The president continues to demand that Andrej Babiš publicly declare how he intends to resolve his conflict of interest before being appointed prime minister”

Pavel stressed that as head of state he is obliged to adhere to the Constitution, and therefore he seeks a clear explanation of how Babiš will fulfil his constitutional and legal obligations. Otherwise the appointment could raise suspicions of unconstitutionality.

This approach is based on a 2020 Constitutional Court ruling, which explicitly requires the president to consider a possible conflict of interest and its resolution when reviewing candidates for prime minister or other government positions. Transparency in the review is part of the constitutional principle of a democratic republic and allows citizens to critically assess the actions of the state for the benefit of society.

As noted by the president’s administration, a limited resolution of the conflict of interest could also affect the future use of European funds for the country. If Babiš takes concrete steps that clearly demonstrate his intention to resolve the conflict and comply with the law, Pavel is ready to immediately appoint him as prime minister.

Pavel also discussed foreign and security policy. He proposed adding to the forthcoming government program statements points on the international security situation, outlining the position on Russia’s war against Ukraine, and reaffirming commitments within NATO to increase defense spending.

According to reports, ANO is forming a new government of the Czech Republic in cooperation with the Freedom and Direct Democracy party and the Automobilists, based on a coalition agreement signed on November 3.

According to information from previous years, in February 2017 the politician and billionaire Babiš invested shares of his company Agrofert into AB private trust I and AB private trust II through an amendment to the conflict of interest law. However, he continued to hold influence in both funds. In October this year he confirmed that he had again become the sole owner of Agrofert and is taking steps to avoid a conflict of interest.

Context and Implications