Thousands on the street against the cover of Babis

In several Czech towns people came on the streets against the proposed new minister of justice. They would be the sjoemelende prime minister Andrej Babis protect.

What happens

Andrej Babis, the second richest man in the Czech republic, is according to the legal service of the European Commission guilty of conflicts of interest. The populist politician (64) decided …

What happens

Andrej Babis, the second richest man in the Czech republic, is according to the legal service of the European Commission guilty of conflicts of interest. The populist politician (64) decided on the allocation of European subsidies. But as a manager was his own company a major beneficiary. In the Czech republic, the police have him prosecuted for fraud, with two million euros, which he spent at the stork’s nest, a luxury resort with rustic farm south of Prague.

“We came on the street to our liberal democracy to the rescue of oligarchs-model’, says the Czech Jan Vrobel from Prague against The Standard. Vrobel is a member of the opposition party, the Pirates and took part in the national marches that the citizens ‘platform ‘A Million Voices for Democracy” organized.

The participants have spoken with prime minister Babis, which, according to them, again democracy to his hand. The Czech police have this month’s corruption investigation to Babis closed and requires prosecution. ‘Immediately afterwards, the minister of Justice resigned and the proposed new minister, Marie Benesova, is a hand puppet of the powers that be, ” says Vrobel. “She has already said that they have the mandate of the chief prosecutor wants to kortwieken. Who must now Babis continue. There is a lot of concern and anger. We want a court that will remain independent of politics.’ Benesova is a confederate of president Zeman, who in turn is an ally of Babis.

The marches for an independent judiciary took place in 100 different cities, even the smaller ones in the countryside. “It shows that the gap between voters in urban and rural areas is not so relevant’, says Vrobel. “The demonstrations were really a broad cross-section of society: families with young children, older people, skilled. We argued peaceful. Many want a return to our totalitarian past to avoid.’

Communist inlichtingsdiensten

Andrej Babis, who is in Europe at the liberal group Alde connect, is the leader of the populist movement ANO. He started his career in the communist inlichtingsdiensten in the Czech republic. His election victory in 2013 was, according to political scientist, Milada Vachudova, a ‘political landslide’. Moegetergd by the latent corruption chose the voters for ANO, that ‘much promised’ but in fact, mainly the interests of the millionaire Babis defends. That is a practical businessman, and not too stuffy to bureaucrats and competitors kortwieken to get ahead again.

According to Vachudova is that kind of oligarchy is a typical pattern in the region: a small business elite, take in all the silence of the government. ‘In the Czech republic, that happened without much dramatic or spectacular gestures’, she writes. Babis, meanwhile, has a strong media empire expanded. “There is already self-censorship, with channels that all sorts of nonsense broadcast while there are important political discussions take place,’ warns Vrobel. Babis and his party are proliferating now on the themes of the vluchtelingencrisis and the conservative-christian family.

“I have personally with Babis spoken and he understands the whole concept of the rule of law, not even,” says Vrobel. ‘Nor does the separation of powers, or liberal democracy: it tells him nothing. He says but what others want to hear. I have a discourse to see change after the Russian invasion in Ukraine and the vluchtelingencrisis: then began Babis is negative to human rights.’

At the same time, the Czech prime minister to avoid that he is in the vocal anti-European camp of region-enjoyed Victor Orban. He sought affiliation with the liberal group ALDE of Verhofstadt, and not by the eurosceptics of Orban. When he was in 2018, with the tacit support of the Czech communists had made the pro-Western Babis clear he NATO, against their requirements, would continue to support.

No turning point

Also now says Babis that throughout fraud cases, a political settlement. ‘That affair around the stork’s nest is 12 years old and no one would talk about it as I am not a politician, ” she said.

Is this demonstration a turning point? According to Vrobel. “One demonstration will not be a dramatic change, but in the long term we need to take this action,” he says. “It is now wait and see what the Benesova to do.’