On 12 November 2025, President Petr Pavel met with ANO Chairman Andrej Babiš at Prague Castle. The main topics of the meeting were the possible appointment of Babiš to head the new government and the issue of his conflict of interest and NATO commitments.
According to a press release from the Office of the President of the Republic, the President of the Czech Republic emphasized that it is his constitutional duty to take into account whether a candidate for Prime Minister has a conflict of interest and that Andrej Babiš must publicly announce how he intends to resolve this conflict before his appointment. Pavel also referred to a 2020 Constitutional Court ruling that requires the president to take into account possible violations of the principle of impartiality in the exercise of public office when appointing the government. The Castle warned that an insufficient solution could also jeopardise the absorption of European funds.
The President praised parts of the draft programme declaration of the emerging government, especially the emphasis on support for regions, health, education and energy. However, he expressed reservations about budget policy, pension reform, the environment and the wording on public media. On foreign policy, he demanded a clear declaration of the government's position on Russian aggression against Ukraine and the Czech Republic's NATO commitments.
Andrej Babiš said after the meeting that he and the President exchanged views on communication regarding conflicts of interest. „Now it seems that the president mainly wants me to explain it to the public and not to him, so we'll see,“ said Babiš.
The next course of action now depends on when Babiš publishes a concrete plan to address his conflict of interest and presents his candidates for ministers. President Pavel has announced that he is ready to appoint the government without delay if the procedure is transparent and in accordance with the law.
gnews.cz - GH
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