Paul warns: If Babiš does not resolve conflict of interest, appointment as PM would be „illegal“

Czech President Petr Pavel said in an interview with Radiožurnál on Národní třída that his appointment of Andrej Babiš as Czech Prime Minister could „contribute to the creation of an illegal situation“ if the ANO leader fails to satisfactorily explain and resolve his conflict of interest. He warned that if Babiš still owned the Agrofert holding at the time of his appointment, he would be in direct violation of the conflict of interest law.

According to Pavel, it will not be about having everything sorted out before the appointment, but about being able to present a clear plan. Radiožurnál quoted the president as saying that he expects a period of about 30 days during which Babiš would have to prove that he has no control over Agrofert. According to the president, a transparent procedure is necessary to assess whether his appointment would be in violation of the legal order.

The debate about Babiš's conflict of interest is one of the longest discussed political topics of the last decade. This is also reminded by recent analyses in Českenoviny.cz, where journalists recounted that Babiš transferred his assets to trusts in 2017 to comply with new legislation. This October, however, he again became the direct owner of Agrofert, which, according to experts, reopens the question of whether this situation can be reconciled with his performance as prime minister.

Pavlov's statement also affects the political level of the post-election negotiations. The analysts at iDNES.cz point out that the President has sent a clear signal: he does not intend to be a passive part of the process and will ensure that the appointment of the Government is carried out in accordance with the Constitution and the law.

The ANO movement itself has so far reacted cautiously to the development. However, Babiš has repeatedly stated in the past that he is ready to resolve the conflict of interest so that he can perform his potential governmental function without legal doubts. However, it is not clear how he would do this now that he has rejoined Agrofert as a direct owner after years.

Pavel says his position is not directed against a specific person, but is based on his duty to protect the trust of citizens in the rule of law. As Radiožurnál interpreted the president's words, the Castle will insist that the highest constitutional functions not be exercised under the weight of doubt.

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