Andrej Babis Czech entrepreneur, politician and statesman Date of Birth: 02.09.1954

1. Early Life and Education
2. Early Business Career
3. Petrimex and Agrofert
4. Political Career
5. Post-Government Accusations and Trial
6. Controversies and Criticism

Early Life and Education

Andrei Babiš was born in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia, in 1954. His father, Štefan Babiš, worked as a trade consultant for the United Nations and represented Czechoslovakia in GATT negotiations. This afforded Andrei Babiš the opportunity to attend high school in Geneva. He later graduated from the University of Economics in Bratislava, specializing in international trade.

Early Business Career

After graduating, Babiš worked at PZO Chemapol Bratislava. In 1980, he joined the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. According to the Slovak Institute of National Memory, he served as a paid secret informant for the Czechoslovak State Security Service (StB) from 1982 to 1985.

Petrimex and Agrofert

In 1985, Babiš moved to the Bratislava foreign trade firm Petrimex, where he worked in Morocco. In 1990, he became director of Petrimex and initiated the creation of a Prague branch of the company. On January 25, 1993, the Prague Petrimex was renamed Agrofert, which Babiš led. Today, Agrofert is an agricultural and food processing conglomerate with over 200 companies in various countries. Babiš owns the company, which has grown to become one of the largest in the Czech Republic.

Political Career

In 2001, Babiš became close with Miloš Zeman, who would later become President of the Czech Republic. In 2011, he founded the ANO 2011 party (an acronym for Action of Dissatisfied Citizens). The party's goals were to combat corruption and other flaws in political life amid public dissatisfaction with a series of scandals. Babiš positioned himself as a successful businessman, contrasting himself with traditional Czech politicians.

In the 2013 parliamentary elections, ANO received 18.65% of the vote and 47 seats in the 200-seat Chamber of Deputies. In the resulting coalition government led by Bohuslav Sobotka, ANO received six ministerial portfolios, with Babiš becoming First Deputy Prime Minister for Economics and Minister of Finance. However, he was dismissed from these positions in May 2017 amidst a government crisis.

In the 2017 parliamentary elections, ANO under Babiš's leadership came first, winning 29.64% of the vote and 78 seats in parliament. Babiš led a government until November 2021, when it resigned.

Post-Government Accusations and Trial

After his resignation, Babiš was accused of illegally receiving an EU subsidy for the construction of the Stork's Nest resort. On January 9, 2023, a court acquitted Babiš in the case.

Controversies and Criticism

Babiš has been criticized for his wealth and his business dealings, which some have alleged create conflicts of interest with his political positions. He has also faced accusations of using his media empire to promote his agenda and silence opposition.

In 2018, large protests took place in several Czech cities against Babiš's appointment as Prime Minister. The protests were organized by the opposition and citizen groups concerned about Babiš's potential conflicts of interest and his perceived authoritarian tendencies.

In 2021, the Pandora Papers revealed that Babiš had purchased real estate in France worth $22 million using shell companies, a transaction that was not disclosed in his financial declarations.