Pavel commissions expert opinion in case Babiš is appointed

The President of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel, is currently having a legal opinion drafted to clarify whether Andrej Babiš's conflict of interest constitutes an obstacle to his appointment as prime minister.

The analysis is being prepared by the Office of the President, which does not wish to comment publicly on its preparation.

The Czech law on conflicts of interest prohibits members of the government from engaging in business activities or participating in the management bodies of companies. They are also required to terminate these activities within 30 days of taking office.

Some lawyers argue that a conflict of interest does not preclude appointment if the candidate shows willingness to resolve it. Others, however, emphasize that the president should insist on the conflict being resolved before the appointment.

Andrej Babiš has not yet disclosed how he intends to resolve his conflict of interest in connection with the Agrofert Group, which he has transferred to trust funds in the past. Courts consider this an insufficient solution.

The president emphasizes that he wants to respect the law and the constitution and avoid controversies such as those that accompanied his predecessor Miloš Zeman.

After the elections, he plans to hold talks with all the winning parties without setting any preconditions. Parliamentary elections in Czechia will take place in a month.

(seznamzpravy, sie)