Czech ANO party a thorn in Renew Europe’s side – still

The liberal centrists in the European Parliament, already torn by internal rifts, have a new dilemma: the presence of Czech business mogul Andrej Babiš’s increasingly conservative ANO party, which counters their core values but may bring valuable seats in the EU elections.

Babiš is one of Czechia’s richest men, having made his fortune in the agro-chemical sector. He entered politics in 2011 with a brand new ANO party, running on an anti-corruption platform, and joined the liberal Renew Europe group in the European Parliament.

He became prime minister in 2017, with support from some of the country’s most pro-EU politicians: Pavel Telička, the former negotiator for Czechia’s accession to the EU in 2004, was an ANO member (he’s rescinded it since), and so is current EU Czech Commissioner Věra Jourová.

But the billionaire’s rhetoric has turned heavily conservative since he got booted out of office in 2021, becoming an anti-EU critic and accusing the European Commission just last month of using its financial leverage to influence the outcome of member states’ elections.

In January 2023, a Czech court cleared him of alleged fraud in securing EU subsidies, but he is still investigated by French authorities for alleged tax evasion and money laundering – accusations he has denied.

Still, ANO is currently leading opinion polls in Czechia and it could win around 6-7 seats in the EU elections in June, which is why any potential showdown with ANO’s EU lawmakers carries broader political implications.

Renew, with its 101 MEPs, is the Parliament’s third-largest group but is set to see that number dwindle after the June EU elections and be overtaken by the far-right ID group, and possibly even the nationalist ECR. Without ANO, its political weight could shrink further.

Czech former PM Babiš's far-right shift could 'move needle' in EU policymaking

The rightward shift of Czech party ANO 2011, led by former Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, is increasingly in conflict with its association with the liberal Renew Europe group at the European Parliament and the ALDE party, political sources told EURACTIV.

Revoked

ANO is a member of the long-standing EU liberal party Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), which partnered with the Renew Europe group, dominated by Emmanuel Macron’s Renaissance, in 2019.

Three Renew members, speaking to Euractiv on condition of anonymity, confirmed ANO was “a problem” and could breach Renew’s rule that members cannot, in any shape or form, take part in national government coalitions with the far-right.

“We commit to countering the destructive and divisive efforts of populists and extremist nationalists across the continent, and to rejecting cooperation with any political actors and groups that do not respect the core values of the European Union and of democratic governance,” Renew’s group charter reads.

Renew’s Internal rules of procedures, seen by Euractiv, make clear that one or more MEPs can be kicked out by secret ballot. It needs to be put forward by the party’s presidency, the party’s bureau, or a group of MEPs representing at least five national delegations and a third of the entire group.

In May 2023, ALDE sent a ‘fact-finding mission’ to Prague to investigate whether ANO stayed true to liberal core values. The mission was quickly halted in September, citing “media leaks”.

Kicking ANO out of the parliamentary group is “so sensitive it needs to be decided by ALDE” first before Renew can take a position on it, a source close to the matter told Euractiv.

However, there is no evidence that Renew or ALDE are trying to engage with ANO on a potential revocation, according to information made accessible to Euractiv.

“At the moment, ALDE is not considering expelling ANO,” the ALDE source confirmed.

Renew had already expressed concerns over the Swedish liberal Liberalerna party’s involvement in a government coalition with the far-right Sweden Democrats in October 2022. The backlash had been so great the group’s only Liberalerna MEP, Karin Karlsbro, stayed on but her party could no longer take part in Renew group events.

That almost cost Renew’s then-president Stéphane Séjourné his job at the time, a source recalled, and Renew is now more cautious.

“We don’t have a problem with delegates or MEPs from ANO, but some of the statements made by Mr Babiš have been problematic. This is why the situation is being regularly monitored and evaluated,” an ALDE source close to the matter told Euractiv.

Czech ANO party wants to stay in ALDE despite conservative views

The ANO party wants to remain a member of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) after the 2024 EU elections despite the significant shift of the party from a central liberal movement to a populist and nationalist …

A conservative, nationalist direction

Yet Babiš’s conservative turn has already left significant marks among former and current ANO MEPs.

Of the six elected in 2019 under the party’s banner, two of them – EP Vice-President Dita Charanzová and Martina Dlabajová – decided to end their cooperation with ANO in June 2023, but remain in Renew.

ANO is “portraying the European Union and Brussels as our enemy”, Charanzová told Czech economic daily Hospodářské noviny at the time

Another MEP, Radka Maxová, switched to the Czech social democrats (S&D) in 2020.

Meanwhile, the three MEPs still loyal to Babiš’ – Martin Hlaváček, Ondřej Knotek, and Ondřej Kovařík – have often voted differently than the rest of the Renew group.

On 8 February, the European Parliament adopted an EU Strategy for LGBTIQ+ Equality 2020-2025. The three ANO MEPs were the only ones in Renew to vote against it.

During a vote on the situation in Hungary and the freezing of EU funds in January, two of the three ANO MEPs voted against and the third did not show up, while the rest of the liberal group voted in favour.

Ondřej Kovařík, contacted by Euractiv, denied any tensions between his party and Renew Europe.

*Max Griera contributed to reporting.

[Edited by Zoran Radosavljevic]