Press Advisories

30. 6. 201820:43

Prime Minister attended the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the Czechoslovak army and remembered the legacy of T. Baťa in Bataville

During his visit to France on Saturday 30 June 2018, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, together with the Slovak Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini, attended celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Czechoslovak army in Darney. In the afternoon, he visited the town of Bataville, where he commemorated the legacy of the Czech entrepreneur Tomáš Baťa.

After talks with President Macron in Paris, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš headed for Darney in eastern France. With the Slovak Prime Minister Pellegrini, he commemorated the 100th anniversary of the oath of the Czechoslovak Rifle Brigade and gave tribute to the Czechoslovak Legionnaires and the recognition of the right of Czech and Slovaks to an independent State by the French Allies in June 1918.

“This year we celebrate the 100th anniversary of our former Czechoslovak state and, together with our Slovak friends, we remember the beginning of our common modern history. Darney may be small, but its importance to us is great, and today we are here to celebrate the anniversary of the first oath of the Czechoslovak Battalion and the de facto creation of the Czechoslovak army. It is this army that became a symbol of Czechoslovak statehood, which gave us self-confidence in the early days. We are also here to pay tribute to the bravery of the Czechoslovak Legionnaires. Their courage and determination helped not only the Allied armies, but they also gave self-esteem to the emerging nation”, said Prime Minister Andrej Babiš.

In the afternoon, the Czech Prime Minister visited Bataville, which Tomáš Baťa founded in Loraine in the 1930s. He visited the premises of factory and urban agglomerations built in the well-known Baťa style, a Baťa-style footwear factory and other projects. During a discussion, he remembered the legacy of the Czech shoemaker, who was among the greatest entrepreneurs of his time. During the visit, Prime Minister Babiš also met the representatives of municipalities in Sarrebourg - Moselle Sud and Lorraine.

“I am glad that the citizens of Bataville still adhere to Baťa’s tradition and that I could personally support them in keeping the legacy of Tomáš Baťa, who is the greatest example for us entrepreneurs", said Prime Minister Andrej Babiš.