Czech Prime Minister must leave, 50,000 protesters say so

Tens of thousands of Czechs rallied in central Prague on Tuesday (10 December) demanding the resignation of populist billionaire Prime Minister Andrej Babiš over fraud allegations.

Prosecutors reopened a previously closed case last week alleging that he fraudulently obtained EU subsidy money in 2007, four years before he entered politics.

Babiš has denied any wrongdoing and refused to step down.

Tuesday’s protest came after even bigger anti-Babiš rallies in June and November, the largest such events since the end of communism in 1989.

The rally, in Prague’s iconic Wenceslas Square, was organised by Million Moments for Democracy, a protest movement started by students who aimed to bring down Babiš over his failure to tackle corruption.

“This thick-skinned guy with his relaxed certainty that people will buy his lies is not a man who should represent me,” protester Josef Smycka, a pensioner from the eastern city of Olomouc, told AFP.

On top of the fraud inquiry, Babiš is now facing claims of conflict of interest.

A European Commission audit concluded that his business interests were incompatible with his political role, according to leaked documents obtained by Czech media.

The audit also suggests his firm, Agrofert, should return hefty sums in EU and state subsidies.

Babiš says he transferred Agrofert into two trust funds, as required under Czech law.

Protester Zuzana Pelantova, who owns a farm south of Prague, is not convinced.

“We can’t have a man with a conflict of interest at the head of the government, managing the entire society, with his incredible powers and arrogance,” she told AFP.

Babiš leads a minority coalition — his ANO movement formally partnered with the Social Democrats, relying on the support of Communist Party lawmakers.

Despite Babiš’s woes, ANO still tops opinion polls with stable 30% support.

Babiš is expected in Brussels on Thursday and Friday for the last EU summit for the year.


The author: Clémentine FORISSIER

Clémentine Forissier, a youthful journalist hailing from Brussels, has been making waves in the field of media. Despite her relatively young age, she has quickly risen to prominence as a prominent voice in Belgian journalism. Known for her fresh perspective and dynamic reporting, Clémentine has become a recognized figure in the Brussels media scene, offering insightful coverage of various topics.

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