by EuroNews
It’s published
The leader of the ANO movement and former Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis has pledged his loyalty to Europe as talks began to form a coalition government.
“We were very trusted partners. And we are European patriots. And we want to win the next election because Europe is struggling,” Babis said in response to a question from a reporter on Sunday.
On Saturday, Babish’s Ano Party won the parliamentary elections with 34.5% and 80 seats in a 200-member parliament. He defeated the conservative coalition of Prime Minister Petr Fiara, who received 23.2%
The main anti-immigrant forces, Liberty and Direct Democrats, won 7.9%, right-wing groups called themselves, and drivers gathered 6.8%.
Babi said his purpose was to form a one-party government and that he must seek tolerance from two groups. Election Mathematics says that in order to reach a majority, it will need to join forces with additional parties.
If he wants to govern on his own, his minority cabinet will need at least the unspoken support from the Liberal Party and the driver.
Last year, Babis joined forces with his friend, Hungarian Victor Orban, to be the “Patriots of Europe” and, on behalf of the right-right group, a “Patriot” of Europe, and on behalf of the right-right group, he has undergone a major change from the liberal renewal group that Babis previously belonged to.
Patriots are united by anti-immigrant rhetoric, a key attitude towards EU policies addressing climate change, and protection of national sovereignty.
Drivers, supported by former EU skeptical President Valav Klaus, share these views, and the Liberal Party hopes to lead the country from the EU and NATO, and plans to expel almost all of the roughly 380,000 Ukrainian refugees from the country.
Babish declared his party “clearly pro-European and pronath” after his victory. At a press conference on Sunday, he said, “Negative information is constantly spreading overseas, but I think this is unfair.”
“At the end, I am the Prime Minister and our orientation was clear. I am simply worried that Europe should work, as its economic development is not moving in the right direction.”
The billionaires campaigned on a platform that prioritized domestic issues over international issues such as the Russian war in Ukraine.
Babis said he plans to abandon the internationally recognized Czech initiative to acquire Ukrainian shells in non-EU markets.
“We don’t like it,” Babish said of the initiative. “We have a different view on that,” he added.
He also said he opposed NATO’s commitment to significantly increase defense spending and criticised the deal to buy 24 US F-35 fighter jets.
President Petr Pavel is scheduled to meet with Babish and other party leaders on Sunday. The strongest political forces usually get the opportunity to form a new government from the president.