Former populist PM Andrej Babiš is eyeing a triumphant comeback days before the country goes to the polls
H
e is a no-nonsense workaholic with famously unpolished manners; a billionaire, ex-communist former prime minister who calls himself “Trumpist”, admires Viktor Orbán, and has spent his political career fighting conflict of interest claims.
After four years in opposition, 71-year-old Andrej Babiš, the Czech Republic’s seventh richest man with a net worth estimated by Forbes at $3.9bn (£2.9bn), is eyeing a triumphant comeback, his party 10 points clear in the polls, its prospective vote share topping 30%.
“I want to restore the management of the state to normal,” Babiš, a polarising leader whose previous premiership from 2017 to 2021 drew mass protests, said recently. “People knew we got results. We managed the country like a company.”
