Andrej Babis, former Czech prime minister and likely next prime minister, was hospitalized after being beaten with a metal crutch at an election rally on Sept. 1. He was later released. His deputy Alena Schillerová blamed the attack on the “hatred spread by the ruling parties.” In May 2024 in a similar climate, Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico was shot multiple times, but survived.
Babis is chairman of the conservative ANO party. In 2023, Babis lost the presidential election by a margin of 0.5%. Babis is currently leading in the polls for the parliamentary election in October with 32%. Babis has been accused by Brussels of illegally taking EU agricultural funds, but the real reason for the campaign against him is that he is seen as being pro-Russian, his collaboration with neighboring Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban seen in this context.
