When Slovak-born tycoon Andrej Babiš prevailed in the recent Czech elections, international media outlets showered him with all kinds of labels—“populist,” “nationalist,” “hard-right billionaire,” “Euro-skeptic,” “Trumpist”—and warned that his return to power signaled a pro-Russian turn in the Central European nation.
In fact, it is difficult to pin down Babiš’s politics. When he served a previous term as prime minister from 2017 to 2021, he tended toward centrist policies and avoided conflicts both at home and in Europe. Until last year, his movement ANO was in the same faction in the European parliament as French President Emmanuel Macron’s party. But this alignment didn’t stop Babiš from also praising Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, whom he later joined in the Patriots faction of the European Parliament.