Babiš Is Back

In the run-up to Saturday’s election in the Czech Republic, many people saw it as a battle over the nation’s future: Would the country draw closer to Russia or the West?

To many, this question remains unanswered after the populist party of former Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, who brands himself as an anti-elite, anti-Brussels “Trumpist,” won its greatest victory since its founding in 2011.

• Babiš’s ano movement (an abbreviation of Action of Dissatisfied Citizens that means “Yes” in Czech) gained nearly 35 percent of the vote and secured 80 seats in the 200-seat lower house.
• It was a clear rebuke to Prime Minister Petr Fiala’s center-right coalition and a signal of voter exhaustion with Western-oriented liberalism. People want the government to focus on domestic issues more than foreign commitments.

Babiš will likely lead talks on forming a new coalition government. Having failed to secure an absolute majority, he will depend on the support of smaller parties.

• This is what analysts feared would lead to a break with the West in the run-up to the election. However, the two most anti-nato and euroskeptic parties failed to secure a single parliamentary seat. Thus, we can expect Babiš to adopt a more pro-Western stance.
• However, EU leaders aren’t terribly excited about another European leader who, like Hungary’s Viktor Orbán, criticizes EU policies, favoring national sovereignty over supranational mandates.

Babiš, who served as prime minister from 2017 to 2021 but was hounded out over corruption charges, says, “We want to save Europe … and we are clearly pro-European and pro-nato.”

During his first term, Babiš cultivated close relations with Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, a devout Catholic politician whom the Trumpet has watched closely.

Ultimately, the Bible reveals that Europe will unite under dictatorial leaders united by the Catholic Church. Babiš, with his large business empire and political influence, could contribute greatly to this emerging empire.