Czech PM: Patriots for Europe serves Russian interests

The new European faction Patriots for Europe, which includes seven ANO MEPs, serves Russian interests, Prime Minister Petr Fiala said on the social network X. “Let us call a spade a spade. Patriots for Europe serves Russia's interests, whether consciously or unconsciously. And in doing so, it threatens the security and freedom of Europe," Fiala wrote on X.

Babiš rejected Fiala's words, calling him “a pathological liar”. According to ANO deputy chairman Karel Havlíček, ANO joined the Patriots for Europe faction in search of allies for the reform of the European Union, not with regard to its stance on the war in Ukraine. ANO has repeatedly said that it considers Russia to be the aggressor in the conflict and that it sides with Ukraine, Havlíček said.