PM Babiš calls for national unity and pride in New Year address
The government will do everything it can to help unite Czech society, particularly on issues of pride and patriotism, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) said in a New Year address published on social media on January 1.
Mr. Babiš said he would like to see Czechs openly proud of their country and unafraid to show it. He described the Czech nation as hardworking, skilled and resilient, and one that has produced scientists, doctors, athletes, artists, inventors and entrepreneurs that it can rightly be proud of.
The prime minister said he would propose that March 30 be designated as the Day of the Czech Flag. It was on that date in 1920, that the Czechoslovak flag was officially adopted.
Babiš also expressed the hope that 2026 would be a year of peace. He criticised the rhetoric of some politicians who claim that war is inevitable, emphasizing that it is the duty of politicians to strive to bring conflicts to an end, since they only bring human suffering.
In his social media post, Babiš also listed measures approved by his cabinet since its appointment in mid-December. This includes rejecting the ETS 2 emissions trading system and the EU Migration Pact, approving a new building law and proposing savings across ministries.
The prime minister concluded his address by saying that 2026 would be a year of intensive work for his government. According to Babiš, the aim of the ANO–SPD–Motorists cabinet is to make the Czech Republic a country where people will be happy to live, work, do business and raise families.
