Andrej Babiš facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Andrej Babiš
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Babiš in 2023
|
|
| Prime Minister of the Czech Republic | |
| In office 6 December 2017 – 28 November 2021 |
|
| President | Miloš Zeman |
| Deputy |
|
| Preceded by | Bohuslav Sobotka |
| Succeeded by | Petr Fiala |
| Leader of ANO 2011 | |
| Assumed office 11 May 2012 |
|
| Preceded by | Position established |
| First Deputy Prime Minister of the Czech Republic | |
| In office 29 January 2014 – 24 May 2017 |
|
| Prime Minister | Bohuslav Sobotka |
| Preceded by | Jan Fischer |
| Succeeded by | Richard Brabec |
| Minister of Finance | |
| In office 29 January 2014 – 24 May 2017 |
|
| Prime Minister | Bohuslav Sobotka |
| Preceded by | Jan Fischer |
| Succeeded by | Ivan Pilný |
| Member of the Chamber of Deputies | |
| Assumed office 26 October 2013 |
|
| Constituency |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born | 2 September 1954
|
| Citizenship | Slovakia, Czech Republic |
| Political party | ANO 2011 (2012–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
Communist Party of Slovakia (1980–1989) |
| Spouses | Beata Adamovičová (m. 1990, div. 2000s) Monika Herodesová
(m. 2017) |
| Children | 4 |
| Alma mater | University of Economics, Bratislava |
| Occupation | Businessman Politician |
| Signature |  |
Andrej Babiš (born 2 September 1954) is a well-known Czech businessman and politician. He served as the prime minister from 2017 to 2021. Before that, he was the Minister of Finance and deputy prime minister from 2014 to 2017. Babiš is also the founder and leader of the political party ANO 2011, which he started in 2012.
Born in Bratislava, Babiš moved to the Czech Republic in the early 1990s. He built a very successful business career, becoming one of the richest people in the Czech Republic. He founded and owns the Agrofert company, which is one of the largest businesses in the country.
Babiš became prime minister on 6 December 2017. His party, ANO 2011, won the most votes in the 2017 Czech legislative election. He was the oldest and wealthiest person to become Prime Minister of the Czech Republic. He was also the first prime minister born outside the Czech Republic and the first to have dual citizenship.
During his time as prime minister, Babiš worked with President Miloš Zeman and other political parties. His government increased money for pensions, child tax credits, and public sector salaries. Important events during his term included removing Russian diplomats after a major incident and dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. He was replaced by Petr Fiala as prime minister in December 2021. Babiš also ran for president in 2023 but did not win.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Andrej Babiš was born on 2 September 1954 in Bratislava, which was then part of Czechoslovakia. His father was a Slovak diplomat, and his mother was of Carpathian German background.
Babiš spent some of his childhood living in other countries, studying in Paris and Geneva. He later attended a gymnasium (a type of high school) and then went to the University of Economics in Bratislava. There, he focused on international trade. After graduating in 1978, he started working for Chemapol Bratislava, a state-controlled trading company. In 1985, he became the company's representative in Morocco.
Building a Business
Babiš returned to Czechoslovakia in 1991, after the Velvet Revolution, and later moved to the Czech Republic. In 1993, Babiš became the managing director of Agrofert. This was a new company that quickly grew.
Babiš helped Agrofert become one of the biggest companies in the Czech Republic. It started by trading goods but then bought many companies in farming, food processing, and the chemical industry. By 2011, Agrofert Holding included over 230 companies, mostly in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Germany. It is now one of the largest companies in the Czech Republic by how much money it makes.
When Babiš decided to enter politics, he stopped being the CEO of Agrofert. However, he remained its owner. In 2013, Agrofert also bought media companies, including MAFRA, which publishes two major Czech newspapers, Lidové noviny and Mladá fronta DNES. Agrofert also owns Radio Impuls, a popular radio station.
Starting in Politics
.jpg)
In 2011, Babiš created his own political party, ANO 2011. The party's main goal was to fight against problems in the country's political system. In the elections in October 2013, ANO 2011 became the second-largest party. They won 47 out of 200 seats in the Chamber of Deputies.
.jpg)
After the election, Babiš joined a coalition government with other parties. He became the Minister of Finance. In this role, he introduced new policies like electronic registration of sales. He often said he wanted to be the next Prime Minister if his party led the government.
Views on Migration
Babiš spoke about the European migrant crisis. He said that NATO was not focused enough on refugees. He also disagreed with the European Union's plan for refugee quotas. He stated that the Czech Republic should not accept these quotas. He believed the country needed to ensure the safety of its citizens.
Becoming Prime Minister
.jpg)
After the 2017 Czech legislative election, where ANO 2011 won the most votes, President Miloš Zeman asked Babiš to form a government. Other parties did not want to join a coalition with him. So, Babiš decided to try and form a minority government.
On 6 December 2017, Babiš was officially appointed Prime Minister of the Czech Republic. He took office on 13 December 2017. He was the first prime minister from a party other than the two main traditional parties.
In his first days, he attended a meeting of European leaders to discuss important topics like money matters and Brexit. His government also made some changes in leadership at various ministries and state companies.
On 16 January 2018, Babiš's first government did not win a vote of confidence in the Chamber of Deputies. However, he continued to lead the country.
.jpg)
In June 2018, President Zeman appointed Andrej Babiš as prime minister for a second time. On 27 June 2018, Babiš was sworn in as the head of a new minority government. This government was made up of members from ANO and another party, CSSD. On 12 July 2018, Babiš's government won a vote of confidence. This was with the support of the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia, which lasted until April 2021.
Key Actions as Prime Minister
As Prime Minister, Babiš also led the Government Council for Fighting Corruption. This role is usually held by a minister, but Babiš took it on himself.
In March 2018, Babiš ordered three Russian diplomats to leave the country. This was to show support for the United Kingdom after an incident there. Later, the Czech government expelled over 80 Russian diplomats and spies from their embassy in Prague. This happened after it was revealed that Russia was involved in the 2014 Vrbětice explosions. This caused a big disagreement between the Czech Republic and Russia.
.jpg)
In June 2018, German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke about the post-war expulsion of ethnic Germans from Czechoslovakia. Babiš disagreed with her statement, reminding everyone of the difficult history and events like Lidice.
On 11 November 2018, Babiš represented the Czech Republic at a ceremony in Paris. This event celebrated 100 years since the end of the First World War. Many world leaders, including US President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, attended.
Babiš's government also had to manage the COVID-19 pandemic. This was a very challenging time for the country.
_04.jpg)
Babiš supported the 2020 Belarusian protests against the Belarusian government. He asked for the 2020 Belarusian presidential election to be held again. He also called for the EU to respond strongly to the situation.
At the COP26 climate summit, Babiš criticized the European Green Deal. He said that the European Union could not achieve its goals without the help of countries like China and the USA, which produce a lot of CO2.
Babiš did not win the 2021 election and was replaced by Petr Fiala as prime minister on 17 December 2021. His government focused on increasing pensions and salaries for government workers. They also introduced electronic toll collection on highways and electronic identification cards for citizens to use online government services.
Visit to the United States
_(cropped).jpg)
On 7 March 2019, Babiš visited the White House in Washington, D.C., for his first official visit to the United States. He met with U.S. President Donald Trump. Babiš highlighted the long-standing friendship between the two countries.
The leaders discussed important topics like cyber security and buying helicopters for the Czech Army. They also talked about building nuclear power stations in the Czech Republic and importing American gas to Europe. Babiš also asked President Trump not to put extra taxes on cars from Europe.
Many Czech politicians saw this trip as a positive step. They believed it continued the tradition of good relations between the Czech Republic and the United States.
Public Protests
In April 2019, the Minister of Justice resigned, and Babiš nominated a new minister. This led to public protests, especially in larger cities. These protests were organized by a group called "A Million Moments for Democracy".
On 3 June 2019, Babiš met with the leader of Myanmar, Aung San Suu Kyi, in Prague. They discussed working together on economy, education, and health. On 23 June 2019, a very large protest against Prime Minister Babiš took place in Prague. About 250,000 people attended, making it one of the biggest protests since the Velvet Revolution in 1989.
.jpg)
Presidential Campaign
On 30 October 2022, Andrej Babiš announced that he would run in the 2023 Czech presidential election. Before the election, he was considered one of the leading candidates. Babiš chose not to attend many of the public debates before the election.
The first round of the election was held on 13 and 14 January 2023. Babiš received a significant number of votes and moved on to the second round against General Petr Pavel. For the second round, Babiš launched a campaign with the slogan "I won't drag Czechia into war. I am a diplomat, not a soldier."
Babiš lost the second round of the election on 27–28 January. He accepted his defeat and expressed hope that Petr Pavel would be a president for everyone. He also stated that he would continue to be there for the people.
Personal Life
Andrej Babiš lives in Průhonice, where he has a large villa. He also owns other properties there.
Babiš was first married to Beata Adamičová. They had two children, Adriana (born 1979) and Andrej (born 1982). Since the 1990s, Babiš has lived with Monika Herodesová (born 1974), who was his former secretary. They have two children together, Vivien and Frederik.
In 2013, Monika changed her last name to Babišová, and they got married in 2017. The couple separated in April 2024. Babiš has dual citizenship of both the Czech Republic and Slovakia. He became a Czech citizen in 2000 while keeping his Slovak citizenship. He has often said that he considers himself a Czech national.
In 2019, Babiš described himself as not following a specific religion but being spiritual. During his presidential campaign, he mentioned that he sometimes goes to church and has a special devotion to the Infant Jesus of Prague.
Images for kids
-
Andrej Babiš's signature
See also
In Spanish: Andrej Babiš para niños
