PRAGUE (Reuters) -The Czech Republic’s populist ANO party on Wednesday proposed appointing to cabinet a right-wing eurosceptic who has been criticised for performing a Nazi salute, complicating efforts to form a government after last month’s election.
ANO, led by billionaire Andrej Babis, won the most votes in an October election and has been trying to form a cabinet with the far-right, anti-EU and pro-Russian SPD party and the right-wing eurosceptic Motorists party.
Babis on Wednesday submitted a list of nominees to President Petr Pavel that included Filip Turek of the Motorists party, who has said the Nazi salute and posting Nazi memorabilia was down to bad humour rather than any affinity to Nazism or racism.
He has also disputed the authenticity of some old social media posts that were published by Czech media where he appeared to make racist comments.
PRESIDENT’S OBJECTIONS REMAIN
“The president repeated that his objections to Filip Turek as a member of the future government remain,” the office of President Petr Pavel said in a statement.
Pavel, a pro-EU liberal and strong backer of Ukraine, did not detail his objections, but has in the past said that Turek should not hold a government post if his past comments are genuine.
Babis, who was previously prime minister in 2017-2021 and hopes to form a government by mid-December, said he would discuss Pavel’s objections – which Babis said were due to unspecified legal reasons – with the head of the Motorists party Petr Macinka.
“We will see what the coalition says on that,” he told reporters.
There was no immediate comment from Turek.
Turek has been nominated for the environment ministry, a change from an earlier proposal to appoint him as foreign minister.
BABIS CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
Pavel has said he is open to appointing Babis as prime minister – the first step before the full cabinet is appointed – but only after he tells the public how he plans to deal with conflicts of interest stemming from ownership of the company Agrofert.
The company is one of the largest in the country and around central Europe, employing around 30,000 in the farming, food and chemicals industries.
His firms take EU and national subsidies and public orders, giving them an interest in political and administrative decisions.
Babis reiterated on Wednesday that he would announce a course of action before his appointment. He has said he would remove the conflict of interest but has not revealed how, beyond saying he would not sell his firm.
(Reporting by Jan Lopatka; Editing by Jason Hovet and Conor Humphries)
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