Babis to meet Czech president after party tops parliamentary vote

Outgoing Prime Minister Petr Fiala's Together grouping came second with 23.4 percent, ahead of its coalition partner STAN with 11.2 percent.

Babis -- a self-proclaimed "Trumpist" -- is expected to meet President Petr Pavel, who will tap the next premier under the constitution, as part of talks with elected party heads on Sunday.

"I have promised Mr President to meet him and show him a solution that will be in line with Czech and European laws," said Babis.

His party won over many Czechs with its pledges of welfare and halting military aid to Ukraine.

"We are helping Ukraine through (the) EU, and (the) EU is helping Ukraine... and this is the way... we will continue to help," Babis said in a video published by Ukraine's public broadcaster Suspilne on Sunday.

Asked by a Ukrainian reporter whether he would support Kyiv's accession bid, Babis said the country was "not prepared for the EU".

"We have to end the war first," he added.

Babis has pledged to review a Czech-led international drive to supply artillery shells to Ukraine, launched by Fiala's government, and "discuss it with (Ukrainian) President (Volodymyr) Zelensky" if necessary.

But he has insisted that his party is "pro-European and pro-NATO", despite fears he might draw the Czech Republic closer to EU mavericks Hungary and Slovakia in refusing to aid Ukraine militarily or sanction Russia.

Fiala's government has provided humanitarian and military aid to Ukraine since it was invaded by Russia in February 2022, but voters had accused it of ignoring problems at home.

- Far-right outreach -

In the European Parliament, ANO is part of the far-right Patriots for Europe bloc, which Babis himself co-founded with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who was quick to congratulate him.

"Truth has prevailed!" he wrote on X. "A big step for the Czech Republic, good news for Europe. Congratulations, Andrej!"

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen also hailed Babis's victory on X, saying that "all over Europe, people call patriotic parties to power in a bid to regain liberty and prosperity".

A triumphant Babis hailed the "historic result" as "the absolute peak" of his political career.

A total of six parties were elected, including the Pirate Party with nine percent, the far-right Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) with 7.8 percent and right-wing newcomers, the Motorists, with 6.8 percent.

Turnout was high at almost 69 percent.

"We will definitely lead talks with the SPD and the Motorists and seek a single-party government led by ANO," Babis said.

Fiala congratulated Babis and rejected any effort to rebuild the current governing coalition.

The SPD is pushing a referendum on leaving the European Union, which Babis has vehemently rejected.

"I think the SPD... will be the key player," Otto Eibl, an analyst at Masaryk University in the second Czech city of Brno, told AFP.

"We'll see if it's happy with staying outside the government while wielding some influence on its policy," he added.

- 'Czechs first' -

Pavel, in office since beating Babis in a 2023 presidential run-off vote, met Babis this week to discuss the ANO leader's conflict of interest as a businessman and politician.

The seventh-wealthiest Czech, according to Forbes magazine, Babis is also facing trial over EU subsidy fraud worth more than $2 million.

He is charged with taking his farm south of Prague out of his sprawling Agrofert food and chemicals holding in 2007 to make it eligible for an EU subsidy for small companies.

Describing himself as a "peacemonger" calling for a truce in Ukraine, Babis has vowed a "Czechs first" approach, echoing US President Donald Trump.

When he was prime minister from 2017 to 2021, Babis was critical of some EU policies and is on good terms with Orban and Slovakia's Robert Fico, who have maintained ties with Moscow despite its invasion of Ukraine.

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