2026-02-08 16:30
publication
2026-02-08 16:30
Czech media and the Politico website believe that Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babisz has not resolved the conflict of interest, despite his assurances, and – contrary to previous declarations – he may again control the Agrofert company after leaving the position of head of government.
Agrofert is one of the largest Czech companies in the food and chemical industries, and its founder is one of the richest Czechs. When he took over as prime minister in December 2025, Babisz declared that he would transfer the company's shares to a trust fund and would not participate in the management of Agrofert, also after leaving office. “My children will take over the shares only after my death,” assured the Prime Minister, forced by President Petro Pavel to declare how he intended to resolve the conflict of interests.
However, Czech journalists found the fund's statute and believe that the document allows Babisz to regain full control over the company after leaving his position in the government. This is confirmed by lawyer Marie Zamecznikova, quoted by Novinky.cz. “Andrej Babisz is the so-called final beneficiary. This means that although he does not formally own shares, he receives all the benefits from the funds' activities,” Zamecznikova explained.
According to the editors of the Seznam Zpravy portal, the separation of the prime minister's business from politics is questionable, which may be the reason for suspending European subsidies for Agrofert. An analysis of the statute of the fund called RSVP Trust, which Babisz ordered to create, shows that the structure of this entity was designed in a temporary manner. Although Babisz will not formally manage the company while holding public office, the document provides for an automatic mechanism for the return of members of his immediate family – and ultimately himself – to control the company when he ends his political career. This is contrary to the declarations made by the Prime Minister himself just before taking office.
“When Agrofert funds are supplied with public money, the allocation of which is decided by the government, the trustee mechanism becomes an empty facade that is intended to protect the interests of the politician, not the transparency of public finances,” noted the lawyer, quoted by Novinky.cz. According to experts from Transparency International, such a structure is “probably contrary to European conflict of interest regulations,” and Politico believes that the European Commission will not treat this matter indifferently.
EU Commissioner for Agriculture Christophe Hansen confirmed in an official position that the European Commission will “appropriately monitor any cases of conflict of interest in order to protect the EU budget.” According to the Czech media, the commissioner's words can be interpreted as a signal that Babisz's argument about the “permanent renunciation of ownership” is no longer taken for granted in Brussels.
When Babisz entered politics more than fifteen years ago, there were no such precise regulations in the Czech Republic and the entire EU, forcing politicians to separate public functions from business activities. Also the one that was to some extent dependent on state subsidies. Over time, such regulations appeared and became more and more detailed. In the Czech Republic, an act called “Lex Babisz” was adopted in 2017, which forced the Prime Minister to transfer Agrofert shares to trust funds. In 2024, another amendment to the regulations forced the politician to get rid of shares in the media he controlled.
Pursuant to applicable Czech and EU regulations, a member of the government or parliamentarian cannot own shares in the media or serve on the boards of companies that apply for state subsidies. These restrictions also apply to members of his immediate family.
From Prague Piotr Górecki (PAP)
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