Opposition ANO Party drops MP Balaštíková from election list amid abuse-of-power allegations

Opposition ANO Party MP Margita Balaštíková has been removed from the party’s candidate list for the October parliamentary elections, party leader Andrej Babiš told iDNES.cz. Balaštíková, until now a prominent ANO Party MP and number two on the Zlín region list, allegedly sought to damage her ex-husband’s company, ChemProgres, by using contacts at the Zlín regional public health authority, according to Seznam Zprávy. Secret recordings made in 2023 by her former husband, Josef Balaštík, purportedly capture her instructing hygiene officials to target the firm. A forensic expert confirmed the recordings’ authenticity, and police are investigating. Balaštíková denies the allegations, calling them false, and also rejects separate claims that she ordered the killing of her ex-husband’s partner’s dog. The Zlín hygiene office has denied any wrongdoing. Health Minister Vlastimil Válek (TOP 09) has requested a full report and vowed strong action if abuse of power is confirmed.