Babiš pledges loyalty to Europe as Czech coalition talks begin

Leader of the ANO movement and former Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš vowed loyalty to Europe as talks to form a coalition government began.

"We were very reliable partner. And we are patriots for Europe. And we want to win next elections because Europe is suffering," Babiš said in response to questions from reporters on Sunday.

On Saturday, Babiš' ANO party won parliamentary elections with 34.5% of the vote and 80 seats in a 200-member parliament. He soundly beat the Together conservative coalition of Prime Minister Petr Fiala, who received 23.2%

The major anti-migrant force, the Freedom and Direct Democracy party, got 7.9% while a right-wing group calling itself the Motorists collected 6.8%.

Babiš has said his aim was to form a one-party government and he will have to seek tolerance from the two groups. Electoral math dictates he will have to join forces with additional parties in order to reach a majority.

If he wants to govern alone, his minority Cabinet would need at least tacit support from the Freedom party and the Motorists to win a mandatory parliamentary confidence vote to rule.

Babiš joined forces with his friend, Hungary's Viktor Orbán, last year to create a new alliance in the European Parliament, the “Patriots for Europe,” to represent hard-right groups, a significant shift from the liberal Renew group that Babiš previously belonged to.

The Patriots are united by anti-migrant rhetoric, a critical stance toward EU policies tackling climate change, and the protection of national sovereignty.

The Motorists, who are backed by former EU-skeptic President Václav Klaus, share these views while the Freedom party wants to lead the country out of the EU and NATO and plans to expel almost all of some 380,000 Ukrainian refugees from the country.

Babiš declared his party "clearly pro-European and pro-NATO" after his victory. At a press conference on Sunday, he said that "negative information is constantly being spread abroad, which I think is unfair."

"After all, I was prime minister, and our orientation was clear. I am simply concerned that Europe should function, because its economic development is not going in the right direction."

The billionaire campaigned on a platform of prioritising domestic issues over international ones such as Russia's war in Ukraine.

Babiš said he was planning to abandon an internationally recognised Czech initiative that acquires artillery shells for Ukraine on markets outside the EU.

“We don't like it,” Babiš said about that initiative. “We have a different view of it,” he added.

He also said he opposed a NATO commitment to significantly increase defence spending and criticised a deal to purchase 24 US F-35 fighter jets.

President Petr Pavel is scheduled to meet with Babiš and other party leaders on Sunday. The head of the strongest political force usually gets a chance from the president to form a new government.