The path is now clear for Andrej Babiš to become the Czech Republic’s new head of government. President Petr Pavel has agreed to appoint him prime minister on Tuesday, after the multi-billionaire announced that he is transferring his company Agrofert to an independent trust to resolve the existing conflict of interest. Pavel had made this a precondition for the appointment. The Czech press takes stock.
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Good news for Czech democracy
Lidové noviny welcomes Babiš’s decision:
“This is a bombshell! Politics triumphs over business. Babiš is giving up Agrofert. Not many people would have expected this. Andrej Babiš has decided to hand over his empire to an independent administrator ensuring that neither he nor his family can profit from it – they can inherit it, but as long as the founder is alive the entire fortune will be inaccessible to them. … This is a great victory for the rule of law, for the widely understood rules of democracy and, last but not least, for Petr Pavel. There is good reason to believe that were it not for his unyielding stance, Babiš would have tried to somehow ‘undermine’ the law on conflicts of interest. … Czech democracy can breathe a sigh of relief.”
Power over profit
Info.cz comments:
“When faced with a choice between power and money, Babiš ultimately chose the former. With this move, the ANO leader and his family are completely cutting ties with Agrofert and will gain no further economic benefits from it even after Babiš leaves politics. … Although in this kind of transaction the devil may lie in the details, it seems unlikely that Babiš has devised any tricks or loopholes in this case to maintain influence over the company.”
Just another trick?
Forum24 is not convinced:
“Are we really supposed to believe that Babiš has laid his multi-billion-euro fortune on the altar of the fatherland as a kind of personal sacrifice? The whole thing seems absurd and should not be reduced to a single statement. The public has a right to know what the arrangement will be between the fund and Babiš and how it plans to proceed with Agrofert. Babiš has no qualms about protecting his wealth through tricks and secret clauses. … And another question also needs to be answered: will the Czech state continue to demand the repayment of the [200 million euros] in subsidies that were obtained unlawfully from Agrofert?”