Self-described Trumpist' Andrej Babis has campaigned on pledges of welfare and halting military aid to Ukraine. Czechs are casting their ballots in a two-day general election, in which the party of populist billionaire Andrej Babis is expected to garner the most votes but not secure a majority, raising concerns that Ukraine ally the Czech Republic may draw closer to pro-Russian European Union countries Hungary and Slovakia.
Andrej Babis has been dressing down for this election campaign trail, opting for jeans and sneakers instead of tailored suits and handmade shoes. He sometimes appears at these events wearing a wool sweater, sometimes in a black hoodie featuring his initials, AB, and sometimes in a T-shirt emblazoned with the words "Czechia, everything for you" or "Czechia against the green madness."
After four years in opposition, 71-year-old Andrej Babis, the Czech Republic's seventh richest man with a net worth estimated by Forbes at $3.9bn (2.9bn), is eyeing a triumphant comeback, his party 10 points clear in the polls, its prospective vote share topping 30%. I want to restore the management of the state to normal, Babis, a polarising leader whose previous premiership from 2017 to 2021 drew mass protests, said recently.
