Press Advisories

6. 12. 2017 22:02

Andrej Babiš has been sworn in as the new Prime Minister

: The President Miloš Zeman appointed Andrej Babiš premier, 6 December 2017. Source: photo archive of the Prague Castle Office, Hana Brožková.

On Wednesday, 6 December 2017, the President of the Czech Republic, Miloš Zeman, appointed the chairman of the ANO 2011 movement, Andrej Babiš, premier at the Prague Castle and charged him with forming a new government.

The President will appoint the new government of Prime Minister Andrej Babiš on Wednesday, 13 December 2017. Immediately after that, the new cabinet will replace the government of Bohuslav Sobotka, which resigned on 5 December 2017.

Biography of the newly appointed premier Andrej Babiš

Since 6 December 2017, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic.
Nominated for the premier post by the ANO movement.
Since 26 October 2013, Member of the Parliament of the Czech Republic.

Personal data

Ing. Andrej Babiš was born on 2 September 1954 in Bratislava. He is married and has four children.

Education

He graduated from the University of Economics in Bratislava.

Professional career

In 1993, he founded Agrofert, currently the largest Czech agricultural, food and chemical holding, which he owned in 100%.
In 2016, despite the President's veto, an amendment was approved to the Act on Conflict of Interests, nicknamed also Lex Babiš, which forbids government officials from possessing media and receiving State subsidies through their companies. In 2017, therefore, Andrej Babiš transferred all the assets of his firms to two trust funds.

Public activity

In the autumn of 2011, Andrej Babiš spoke in the media about system corruption that has grown through public administration. His speech attracted the response of thousands of citizens and gave a spontaneous rise to the initiative Action for Dissatisfied Citizens. Based on their requirements, a Call was compiled, summarising the key ideas that lent content to the ANO association which was established subsequently in November 2011. As the number of supporters grew, voices were heard, recommending its direct involvement in politics. In May, it was registered as a political movement that can take part in democratic parliamentary elections. It received nearly a million votes in the early election in 2013, which was the highest number for a new political entity in the history of the Czech Republic. The next, regular election to the House of Deputies in 2017 was won by ANO with more than 1.5 million votes.
In 2016, Andrej Babiš was awarded as the Minister of Finance of the Year for the area of developing European economies.