MADRID, 31 Oct. (DPA/EP) –
The former Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Andrej Babis, announced this Sunday that he is going to stand in the presidential elections that will take place next January, despite the fact that the polls are not favorable to him.
Two and a half months before the electoral date, the billionaire and member of the opposition has announced his candidacy to return to the position.
“The polls don’t give me many options, but I’m a fighter,” said the 68-year-old politician during an interview on the Nova television network. Babis had been expected to put forward his candidacy for months.
The founder of the ANO party is currently facing a trial in which he faces accusations of complicity in the fraud of public subsidies in his role as a businessman.
“In democratic countries, a politician resigns when accused, but Andrej Babis longs for castle immunity,” Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala wrote on his Twitter account in reaction to this announcement, referring to the Palace of Prague, the seat of the national government.
According to a survey carried out by the opinion institute Stem/Mark a month ago, 23 percent of those who will be called to the polls would vote for the former general and former chairman of the NATO military committee, Petr Pavel. Babis would be in second place with 17 percent support, followed by Danuse Nerudova at 14 percent.
The presidential elections will take place on January 13 and 14, with a probable second round two weeks later.
Milos Zeman is currently serving his second and last term as head of state, which will end in Mazo, since he cannot run again.
In the Czech Republic, the president has mainly representative functions but is considered an important opinion leader.
