One Billionaire Leader Is Having a Good Virus Crisis

The Czech prime minister is winning kudos for his management of the pandemic. The question is how he deals with the economic fallout.

A pedestrian wearing a face mask walks across an empty Charles Bridge in Prague, on March 16.

Photographer: Getty Images/Getty Images 

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For years, Andrej Babis wanted to run his country like a business. The coronavirus pandemic finally gave him the chance.

In 2017, the Czech billionaire campaigned on promises to make the government more effective and rid the state of traditional politicians he called incompetent. Even after he swapped running his multi-billion-dollar agrifood business to become prime minister, he kept complaining of lengthy, unproductive meetings that ramble on without a quick decision.