Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský became aggressive in an interview with Politico after former Prime Minister Andrej Babiš won the Czech elections and is expected to become prime minister again.
Lipavský addressed the future prime minister, saying: “He will behave like Orbán’s puppet. That’s a big difference. To behave like Orbán and be someone’s puppet. And he will be all about [being a] puppet.”
The foreign minister fears that the politician could reduce the Czech Republic’s weight and credibility in the European Council if he follows Orbán’s “confrontational” strategy in EU discussions.
Babiš — who has not yet formed a government — has stated that he does not want conflict with the European Union, but according to the foreign minister, his rhetoric and alliances tie him to the “hardline” V4 direction.
The Czech Republic has been one of the EU’s most prominent pro-Ukrainian actors in recent years, supplying Kyiv with more than 3 million rounds of ammunition and severely restricting the movement of Russian diplomats. However, Lipavský says this policy could soon change radically.
“I am very pessimistic that Czechia will keep its place on the world stage in terms of support to Ukraine, because he’s [Babiš] is criticizing the ammunition initiative,” said the foreign minister.
“He’s saying that he will not provide any new money for Ukraine,” he added.
According to the minister, this could undermine the Czech Republic’s credibility among countries that take a tougher stance against Moscow, and at the same time could allegedly strengthen Orbán’s regional influence.
Politico notes that Babiš is often compared to Donald Trump, with whom Viktor Orbán also regularly compares himself. Lipavský, on the other hand, sees Czech-American relations as weakening under the Babiš government because the politician opposes increasing defense spending, and he also criticized the purchase of the F-35 fighter jets manufactured by the United States.
“Donald Trump is saying: ‘Spend more money on defense.’ What will Andrej Babiš do? Most likely spend less money on defense,” said Lipavský, according to Politico.
According to the Czech foreign minister, this could remove the Czech Republic from the United States’ strategic alliance circle, and the country
“It could end up in a position like Spain: with little influence but a lot of compromise,” he claimed.
Lipavský summarizes that Babiš’s policies are not independent, but subordinate:
“It creates the illusion of a strong leader who pounds the table in Brussels, but in reality, he would veto along with Orbán and bring nothing home,” said Lipavský.
