CZECH PRIME MINISTER ANDREJ BABIS
Ups and downs of Andrej Babis, founder and leader of the populist ANO party, in pictures
Slovak-born oligarch and former secret police agent, Andrej Babis, became the head of a center-right populist political movement , ANO (which means YES in Czech, and stands for Association of Dissatisfied Citizens), following the fall of the Czech government due to allegations of corruption in 2013. Babis's anti-corruption platform appelaed to many voters, and, in 2013, ANO became a junior coalition partner in the new Czech Social Democrats (CSSD)-led government. Babis was named finance minister but was forced to resign following charges of misappropriation of EU funds. But when ANO won the 2017 general election, Babis became prime minister, and after prolonged and fraught negotiations with the CSSD, he formed a minority government. For the first time since the collapse of communism in 1989, a government was created with parliamentary support from the Communist Party. Despite multiple allegations of fraud, Babis remains the most popular politician in the Czech Republic.
Published in the The Guardian, CNBC, El Pais, Politiken, Suddeutsche Zeitung, Washington Post , New York Times, BBC, RFERL, etc.
Awards: Czech Press Photo 2018
