Constitutional Court abolishes Lex Babiš II law barring top officials from owning media outlets

The Constitutional Court has upheld a motion by the opposition ANO party and abolished significant parts of the Lex Babiš II law that bars top officials from owning media outlets and introduces stricter rules for subsidies to companies owned by politicians. The legislation was approved in 2023 in reaction to former prime minister Andrej Babiš owning a multi-billion crown empire, including media outlets, and placing them in trust funds during his tenure. The ANO party based its complaint on the grounds that the ruling parties had circumvented the Rules of Procedure of the Chamber of Deputies and restricted debate on the bill. The court’s ruling related to procedural and technical issues; it did not deal with the contents of the law. The decision will leave in place the original Conflict of Interest Act.