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Petr Babis Unveils 'Business-First' Blueprint to Reclaim Czech Premiership

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  Published in Politics and Government on Friday, November 14th 2025 at 7:02 GMT by reuters.com

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Petr Babis outlines a “business‑backed” route to the Czech prime‑ministership after 2025

In a bold move that blurs the line between private enterprise and public policy, former Czech Prime Minister Petr Babis – who left the post in 2021 to refocus on his commercial empire – has announced a comprehensive strategy to secure his return to the premiership after the 2025 parliamentary elections. The plan, unveiled in a press conference in Prague on 14 November, hinges on the use of Babis’s “Business Holdings” – a holding company that controls a diversified portfolio of real‑estate, energy, and media assets – to galvanise a political coalition and underpin an economic revival that Babis claims will be crucial to the Czech Republic’s future.

The “Business‑First” Blueprint

Babis described his blueprint as a “business‑first” approach that would bring private‑sector efficiency into the public arena. At the heart of the plan is a “co‑investment” fund – a vehicle that would pool capital from Babis’s own holdings and from other pro‑growth investors. The fund would, in turn, finance public projects such as infrastructure upgrades, renewable‑energy plants, and digital‑transformation initiatives. In exchange, Babis proposes that the coalition partners who support the fund receive a proportionate share of influence over policy, with a clear pathway to the premiership for the Babis‑led coalition.

“We are not talking about a political party in the traditional sense. We are talking about a partnership between business and government that creates jobs, reduces the fiscal burden on the state, and propels the Czech Republic onto a trajectory of sustainable growth,” Babis told reporters. “When we bring private capital into public projects, we reduce the need for high taxes and for costly state intervention.”

The proposal also includes a targeted job‑creation scheme: the fund would earmark 50 % of its capital for small‑ and medium‑enterprise (SME) development, with an expected outcome of creating up to 10 000 new jobs by 2030. Babis cited the current unemployment rate – 3.5 % – as a benchmark for success and warned that the “cultural shift” required to modernise the Czech labour market is only possible with a partnership that includes the private sector’s dynamism.

Linking the Plan to the 2025 Election

The 2025 elections – scheduled for early 2026 – are a turning point for Czech politics. Babis’s Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) party, which he founded in 2011, lost its footing in the 2021 election when it fell below the 5 % threshold and was effectively sidelined from the new coalition that brought the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) and the Christian Democrats (KDU‑ČSL) to power. Babis, who was a central figure in the 2017‑2021 government, has since been an outspoken critic of the coalition, positioning himself as a champion of free‑market reforms and an opponent of what he calls “political elitism.”

In the announcement, Babis outlined a strategy that would see his party and the “Business‑First” coalition form a joint electoral list for the 2025 election. The list would be backed by the investment fund, ensuring that voters see a tangible economic benefit from the coalition’s platform. If successful, Babis claims he would negotiate for the role of Prime Minister – a position he has explicitly stated he wants to reclaim.

Reactions from Political Opponents

The proposal has already sparked a flurry of reactions from Czech political circles. ODS leader Petr Fiala – who currently serves as Prime Minister – cautioned that a partnership with a private‑sector heavyweight could lead to conflicts of interest. “We must ensure that public policy remains independent of personal wealth,” Fiala said. “The Czech Republic’s democratic institutions cannot be compromised by the interests of a single business conglomerate.”

KDU‑ČSL’s leader, Miroslav Bajtek, offered a more neutral stance. “A coalition that can bring substantial investment into our country is certainly attractive. But we must be vigilant about ensuring transparency and safeguarding the public interest,” Bajtek said.

The Czech Parliament’s anti‑corruption watchdog has also issued a statement noting that the proposal “raises serious questions regarding the intersection of private wealth and public office.” The watchdog urged that any arrangement involving Babis’s holdings undergo stringent scrutiny under the country’s conflict‑of‑interest laws, which were recently tightened following a series of scandals involving business‑political links.

Babis’s Own Defence

Babis has a track record of defending his involvement in the public sector while remaining a major shareholder in the private market. In 2022, he was accused of a conflict of interest when his holding company “Babis Business Holdings” invested in a state‑owned energy project – a move that was eventually approved after a parliamentary debate. Babis used the controversy as an opportunity to highlight the need for “clean, transparent governance.”

In his latest speech, Babis stressed that his plan would “address the very same concerns that led to the previous scandals.” He promised that all transactions would be made public, and that his holdings would not retain any influence over the day‑to‑day operations of the public projects. “We are creating a system where the private sector brings capital and expertise, while the public sector provides the regulatory framework,” he said.

The Bigger Picture

Babis’s “business‑first” proposal is part of a larger debate in the Czech Republic about the role of the state in economic development. On one side, there are those who champion the “New Economy” model – a vision that seeks to reduce the state’s footprint, cut taxes, and leverage private investment to boost growth. On the other, there are traditionalists who fear that handing significant economic power to a single conglomerate could erode democratic accountability and concentrate wealth too heavily in the hands of a few.

If Babis’s plan gains traction, it could become a precedent for how business leaders negotiate political influence in a democratic system. The success of the 2025 election will, therefore, be closely watched by observers both within the Czech Republic and abroad.

Bottom Line

Petr Babis has thrown his hat into the ring for a post‑2025 premiership by proposing a “business‑first” coalition backed by a private investment fund. While the plan could potentially accelerate economic growth and job creation, it also raises serious questions about conflicts of interest, transparency, and the health of Czech democratic institutions. As the 2025 election approaches, all eyes will be on how Babis’s coalition negotiates with existing political parties and how Parliament and the public respond to this unprecedented blend of business and politics.