Overview
- President Petr Pavel says he will not appoint Andrej Babis until Babis publicly sets out how he will eliminate conflicts arising from his ownership of Agrofert.
- After meeting the president, Babis said he would study provided materials and offer an explanation, then stated he will not sell Agrofert and declined to detail any remedy in advance.
- The presidential office warned that appointing Babis without clarity could breach constitutional duties and jeopardize European Union funding.
- Babis’s earlier attempt to park Agrofert in trusts during his 2017–2021 premiership was found insufficient by a court and the European Commission, and he now again holds sole ownership.
- Transparency International urges either selling the businesses, forgoing public contracts, or staying out of government, while analysts note that legally viable alternatives are slow or uncertain under Czech law.