How a Mogul's Billions Are Riling Czech Politics: QuickTake Q&A

The Czech Republic, which has watched nine governments come and go in the past 15 years, is once again in political turmoil, caught in a fight between the leaders of its two dominant political forces. Bohuslav Sobotka, the current premier and the head of the Social Democrats, is trying to dismiss Finance Minister Andrej Babis, a billionaire whose ANO party is the favorite in opinion polls before elections slated for October. As Sobotka tries to oust his rival and arrest a slide in popularity, he has endangered his own future, and the infighting has paralyzed the coalition government.

Sobotka, prime minister since 2014, says Babis hasn’t adequately answered allegations that he engaged in tax evasion and financial “tricks” while building his empire of 250 companies spanning 18 countries and employing 34,000 people. Babis, a former Communist-era trade official who founded Agrofert AS, controls assets in the chemical and food industries -- including La Paloma, a Michelin-rated restaurant in the French Riviera -- as well as the Czech Republic’s largest mainstream newspaper. Forbes puts his net worth at more than $3 billion. Babis says he did nothing illegal and that his finances are transparent.