Czech Finance Minister Andrej Babis addresses a parliamentary session in Prague, Czech Republic, May 10, 2017. REUTERS/David W Cerny
New York Times: In Czech Election, a New Threat to European Unity
PRAGUE — He’s a media-wise billionaire used to getting his own way, and promising to run the government like a business. He wants immigrants to stay away. And although his political positions are tricky to pin down, they are tinged with populist and muscular rhetoric.
Andrej Babis, 63, who built an agribusiness and media empire in the ruins of the Soviet collapse, is the front-runner to become the Czech Republic’s new prime minister, running as the leader of a movement he created a few years ago for that very purpose.
“He is like Trump, really,” said Jiri Pehe, a political analyst and director of New York University in Prague. “You can watch him and see how he suffers in Parliament, forced to listen to other people.”
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Update #1: Prague poised to turn away from Brussels (Politico)
Update #2: Controversial oligarch Andrej Babiš could be about to win the Czech election (The Conversation).
WNU Editor: Until recently he was the country's finance minister, so he is well known by the public. Andrej Babis' anti-EU stance is also resonating with many .... especially his opposition to joining the Euro. The election will be held on October 20-21, and according to opinion polls, half of the electorate are still undecided.
2 comments:
The EU is a doomed entity and has been for quite some time. Efforts to hold it together are futile and cannot end well for anyone who tries. As such, the approach should be an orderly breakup of this entity.
We have had BREXIT, Catalonia, and now this. Things will only accelerate. The EU is over. Denying reality does not help anyone.
Sinn Fein is gaining track in my country... - http://www.thejournal.ie/opinion-poll-4-3283371-Mar2017/
I'd not be surprised if the future of Ireland will be in the hands of a Sinn Fein government. Now that, would be interesting...
However, Sinn Fein are nowhere near anti-EU as some of the right-wing parties. And many mistakenly consider Sinn Fein as a 'right-wing party' when in fact they are generally a left-wing socialist party.
But even after all that, Sinn Fein are the only party who would ask for Ireland to leave the sinking ship that is the EU, should they feel it is in the benefit of the country to do so.
Where as all the other parties... would stay on that boat.
And drown.
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