Czech populist Babis eyes power in election but may need help from extremes

Andrej Babis has been taking notes from the US Maga movement but he may need to partner with ultra-nationalists.

Watch LiveBritish Broadcasting CorporationHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsArts in MotionTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListTo the Ends of The Earth EarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingAudioPodcast CategoriesRadioAudio FAQsVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveWeatherNewslettersWatch LiveBillionaire populist eyes power in Czech vote but may need help from extremes12 hours agoShareSaveRob CameronPrague Correspondent, PragueShareSaveReutersAndrej Babis has taken inspiration from the US Maga movement, not least his party's red caps saying "Strong Czechia"Czechs go to the polls on Friday and Saturday facing a deteriorating security situation in Europe and fears of Russian interference.

Populist billionaire Andrej Babis, 71, is tipped to head the next government, replacing the strongly pro-Western, pro-Ukraine coalition.

But he'll likely need allies on the extremes of Czech politics – and their price will not be cheap.

"We'll never drag the Czech Republic to the East. I can absolutely rule that out," Babis told a crowd of mostly elderly supporters, gathered around a stage in the former steel town of Kladno, just outside Prague.

"We weren't the ones who sat down with Putin - we were the ones who expelled Russian diplomats!" he went on, referring to measures taken in his first term following revelations that Russia's GRU military intelligence had blown up a Czech ammunition dump in 2014.