Czechs head to polls with billionaire ex-premier tipped to come first
Czechs will vote on Friday and Saturday in a general election that is expected to go to the top of the self -defining “Trumpist” Party, which is self -defined.
A possible return to the power of the billionaire for the power of the former Premier, Eu Mavericks, who syllabs rocky relations with Kiev and Brussels, can withdraw the Czech Republic, closer to Hungary and Slovakia.
But even if Babis’s Ano (“Yes”) party begins to vote, almost a coalition will have to negotiate or get support from other parties.
Babis, EU and NATO members of approximately 11 million people are the promise of welfare and the campaign to stop military aid to Ukraine.
Prime Minister Petr Fiala’s current center -right coalition government provided comprehensive human and military assistance to Ukraine, but many voters accuse them for ignoring problems at home.
“A change is required. The Czech Republic should be more autonomous, not a messenger child for Brussels,” he said.
However, 41 -year -old Doctor Anna Stefanova said AFP was afraid of “swinging towards Russia”.
Babis criticized some EU policies between 2017-2021 between 2017-2021, and in good conditions with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Robert Fico, who continued his ties with Moscow despite the occupation of Ukraine.
– ‘Czech first’ –
Survey stations will be opened at 1200 GMT and before reopening from 0600 to 1200 GMT on Saturday, the results will be closed on Friday, 2000 GMT and the results are expected on Saturday evening.
Ano overcomes support surveys exceeding 30 percent in front of Fiela’s grouping together.
71 -year -old Babis, in a TV discussion with Fiala on Wednesday, “We are targeting a single -party government. We have previously decided with success.” He said.
Babis, who described him as a “peaceful” who wanted a ceasefire in Ukraine, promised a “Czech” approach reflecting US President Donald Trump and promised “a better life” for all checks.
In 2024, Babis founded the far -right Patriots group for Europe in the European Parliament, including the national rally among other parties of France.
Fiala, a former 61 -year -old professor of political science, said voters will decide that “on the way to freedom, whether we will continue to high quality democracy, security and prosperity or go to the east”.
– ‘Pragmatic Businessman’ –
However, Charles University Analyst Josef Mlejnek said he did not expect a “basic change” if a father wins to AFP.
“Babis is a pragmatic businessman and the only thing he cares about is to be prime minister.”
However, analysts warn that everything will depend on election results.
According to analysts, Babis’s party comes first, but if the majority does not win, the extreme right opposition supported by about 12 percent of voters may try to maintain a coalition with the SPD movement.
There have also been some concerns about the spread of Russian propaganda online to influence elections, but analysts say that they will never see a major change in voter feelings.
A group of analysts said last week that Czech Tiktok accounts reached millions of viewers “systematically spread the pro -Russian propaganda and support anti -system parties through manipulated participation”.
Both Babis and Fiala saw that the scandals damaged their reputation.
The government of the Fiala is under fire upon the decision of the Ministry of Justice to accept Bitcoin of 44 million dollars of a convicted criminal.
According to Forbes Magazine, he was born in Slovak and was born in Slovak and seventh richest check, continues to hear more than $ 2 million for EU subsidies fraud.
In 2007, Babis took off his farm near Prague from the food and chemical holding company in agriculture near Prague to ensure that he was entitled to a subsidies for small companies.
He rejected all the allegations of doing wrong as “a smear campaign”.
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