Babiš becomes Czech PM, controversial Motorists' Filip Turek NOT nominated for minister
Andrej Babiš was appointed Czech prime minister for the third time on Tuesday morning at Prague Castle. His return comes almost four years after he left office, as ANO forms a coalition with SPD and the Motorists. The government could be fully appointed within a week, pending the resolution of one controversial ministerial nomination.
At 71, ANO Party leader Andrej Babiš became the Czech Prime minister for the third time.
The Motorists’ party is not seeking a replacement for Filip Turek as environment minister, party chairman Petr Macinka said in the Chamber of Deputies on Monday. Macinka, who is to be temporarily entrusted with running the ministry, told reporters that Turek is missing from the current list of cabinet nominees solely because of a health issue.
Senior EU figures congratulated Andrej Babiš on his appointment as Czech prime minister, with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen saying on X that she looks forward to working with him, beginning with the upcoming European Council. She noted that Czechia plays an important role in strengthening Europe’s security. European Council President Antonio Costa also offered congratulations, saying he expects constructive cooperation at the 18 December summit of EU heads of state and government.
Andrej Babiš announced at the 1st press conference after the appointment ceremony:
"In the proposal I brought, naturally on the basis of the decision of the Motorists’ party chairman, Mr Macinka, the name of Mr Turek does not appear. In that proposal there is a proposal that Mr Macinka be entrusted with managing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and of course, for health reasons, Mr Turek was not able to undergo that meeting with the president. So given the time pressure, and as we do not know with Mr Turek whether he will undergo surgery or what will happen with him, that is why he is not in the proposal, and we will see—when he recovers, I assume that then the meeting with the president will take place."
Turek has faced criticism and police investigation for provocative and outright racist social-media posts—some of which he apologized for, while denying authorship of others. Questions have also arisen over his asset declaration and an incident eight years ago in which he allegedly threatened an employee of the Saudi Arabian Embassy. More recently, he was criticized for telling an opponent on 17 November that he would “Nazi-salute in his face.”
Statement of Andrej Babiš
“Mr President, thank you for appointing me prime minister of the Czech Republic. I promise all citizens of the Czech Republic that I will fight for their interests not only at home, but also around the world. I will do everything I can to ensure that our government fulfils its programme, and I will do everything in my power to make the Czech Republic the best place to live on our planet. Once again, thank you very much.”
Statement by President Petr Pavel after appointing Andrej Babiš PM
“Prime Minister, Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, today, with this act, we fulfil the will of the voters expressed in the parliamentary elections, in which the leader of the strongest party is appointed prime minister of the Czech Republic.
I would like to once again acknowledge that you honoured the agreement we reached regarding the public announcement of how you intend to resolve your conflict of interest. I considered this important to avoid any doubts about how that conflict would be handled once you were appointed prime minister. I trust that in the next thirty days, as required by law, you will bring this matter to a successful conclusion.
I would also like to emphasize that the Czech Republic finds itself in a challenging security and economic environment. We will have to address a number of issues that will not be pleasant for the public and will require not only vision, but also courage. They will require the unquestionability of our commitments within both the European Union and NATO, and a constructive approach from a country that is aware of our shared values and interests, yet also brings ideas on how to solve problems constructively and seeks partners within NATO and the EU.
I would further point out that we face major challenges in the area of social cohesion. Not only individuals and socially vulnerable regions but whole regions struggle with problems rooted in the past, shaped by the structure of local industry. These problems have not yet been fully resolved and will hold our country back if we fail to address them. I believe that the draft governmental programme includes these areas, but they will require not only courage, but also vision.
From my conversations with the ministerial nominees, I gained the impression that they have concrete ideas on how to address these challenges. They will, of course, need clear and strong leadership to do so. I would therefore like to wish you strength, courage and vision, and express my intention to support you and your entire government in everything that serves the good of this country.
Once again, I wish you much success and strength.”
Political analyst Lukáš Jelínek for Czech Radio: With nine weeks since the election, Czechia has a new prime minister and cabinet—an outcome well within the usual post-election timeframe. The main delay did not come from coalition talks among ANO, the Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) party and the Motorists' party, but from President Petr Pavel. He insisted on meeting all nominees and reviewing the coalition programme before appointing ANO leader Andrej Babiš as prime minister. Pavel also pushed Babiš to address his conflict-of-interest issues publicly. Despite minor tensions, the two have coordinated closely, while the Motorists' controversial nominee Filip Turek remains unresolved.
Andrej Babiš, leader of the ANO party, was appointed prime minister on Tuesday morning by President Petr Pavel. It will be his third time leading a government, following his appointments in 2017 and 2018. Babiš returns to the post nearly four years after being replaced in December 2021 by the cabinet of Petr Fiala (ODS). The president is expected to name the remaining ministers within a week, completing the new government formed by ANO together with Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) and the Motorists.
Conflict-of-interest issue addressed
Born in Bratislava in 1954, Babiš grew up in a well-connected communist-era family. His father was a high-ranking foreign trade official, which enabled the family to spend part of Babiš’s youth abroad, including in France and Switzerland. He studied at a French-language lycée and later graduated in economics from the University of Economics in Bratislava. Like many in similar positions in the 1970s and 1980s, he was a member of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia before the fall of the regime in 1989.
Before entering politics, Babiš built one of Central Europe’s largest business empires. In the 1990s he established Agrofert, a conglomerate spanning agriculture, chemicals, food production and media. Through rapid expansion and acquisitions, the group made Babiš a billionaire and one of the wealthiest individuals in Czechia. He remained its dominant owner until conflict-of-interest legislation required him to place his holdings into trust funds during his first premiership.
Babiš’s appointment became possible after he presented a formal solution to his long-running conflict-of-interest case. His shares in the Agrofert holding will be placed under the management of an independent trustee within a trust structure, overseen by an independent protector. Both positions will be appointed by an independent third party.
According to the arrangement, Babiš will not regain control of the company even after his departure from politics; Agrofert would only pass to his children after his death. The coalition partners welcomed the move, though the emerging opposition continues to express doubts.
A veteran of Czech politics
Babiš, who turned 71 in September, is set to become the oldest politician ever to lead a Czech or Czechoslovak government. He already held the record for the independent Czech Republic, having previously taken office at the age of 63—surpassing former prime minister Jan Fischer. Entering politics in 2011, Babiš and his ANO movement have played key roles in three different governments: their own two cabinets and Bohuslav Sobotka’s coalition with the Social Democrats and the Christian Democrats.
Lengthy post-election negotiations
Babiš has waited 66 days since the elections on 4 October to be appointed premier—a longer delay than during the 2021 transition to the Fiala government, which took 50 days.
This time, the interval between naming the prime minister and the rest of the cabinet may be significantly shorter than the three weeks seen in 2021. According to the presidential office, the next steps after appointing Babiš will be aimed at completing the government lineup, with the final date to be announced once the prime minister-designate submits his list of ministers.
Filip Turek under scrutiny
President Pavel has met with almost all proposed ministers except Filip Turek, the Motorists’ nominee for the environment portfolio. Turek apologized for today’s meeting, reportedly due to a slipped disc requiring hospital treatment and strong pain medication.
He has stated his intention to meet the president as soon as possible to explain several controversies that surfaced during and after the election campaign.
Turek has faced criticism and police investigation for provocative and outright racist social-media posts—some of which he apologized for, while denying authorship of others. Questions have also arisen over his asset declaration and an incident eight years ago in which he allegedly threatened an employee of the Saudi Arabian Embassy. More recently, he was criticized for telling an opponent on 17 November that he would “Nazi-salute in his face.”
Possible constitutional dispute
President Pavel has repeatedly said he has serious reservations about Turek’s appointment. Last week, he suggested that a competence lawsuit—asking the Constitutional Court to clarify the president’s obligations in appointing ministers—might be the best solution.
The Motorists, however, insist they will not change their nominee and are not considering legal action. To avoid delaying the formation of the government and to allow Babiš to attend next week’s EU summit in Brussels as prime minister, one option is to leave the environment ministry temporarily without a minister and entrust another government member with its leadership.
Government program and early votes
The new cabinet is expected to meet several times before the end of the year. Coalition leaders have already announced that one of their first steps will be rejecting the EU’s planned ETS2 emissions trading system as well as the migration pact.
The Chamber of Deputies could vote on confidence in the cabinet on 13 January. Together, ANO, SPD and the Motorists parties command a majority of 108 seats, giving them a comfortable margin.
Distribution of ministries
Shortly after the elections, the three parties agreed to divide ministerial posts: ANO will hold eight ministries plus the premiership, SPD will control three, and the Motorists four. The coalition agreement was signed on 3 November, just before the new Chamber of Deputies convened.
The deal also grants SPD the influential post of Speaker of the Chamber, a position to which deputies elected party leader Tomio Okamura.
