Andrej Babis: The Tenacious Contestant in the Czech Elections

At 71, Andrej Babis has demonstrated indefatigable stamina as he gears up for the Czech Republic's parliamentary elections set for October 3 and 4. On Tuesday, September 23, the billionaire and self-declared Trumpist candidate held his fourth rally of the day in Liberec, an industrial city in the country's north. Wearing a hooded sweatshirt, he bounded onto a stage set up in front of a shopping center, spending two hours stirring up a small crowd of retirees who had come to support him while also verbally sparring with a group of young protesters present. Babis vehemently denied accusations of being pro-Russian, addressing the high school and university students who were defending the incumbent government's strong support for Ukraine. The students held large signs reminding the crowd that Babis had previously been listed as an agent of the Czechoslovak communist political police in the 1980s. In a bold move, Babis seized the moment to launch into an impromptu tirade against a journalist from Le Monde who was attempting to pose questions. "Why do these foreign journalists always ask me about Slovak and Hungarian prime ministers, Robert Fico and Viktor Orban, and about the Czech ammunition initiative? I am fighting for Czech interests!" he declared. Babis reiterated his opposition to programs initiated by the current pro-European conservative prime minister Petr Fiala, including one that has enabled the delivery of 35 million artillery shells to the Ukrainian army since 2024. This defiance positions Babis as a strong contender, rallying his loyal base while continuing to confront both domestic and foreign criticisms head-on. Related Sources: • Source 1 • Source 2