Czech billionaire ex-premier Andrej Babis, whose party topped a national vote this weekend, vowed a pro-western course as he started talks on the next government expected no sooner than in November. Babis’s ANO (YES) party won 34.5% of the vote, earning 80 seats in the 200-member parliament of the EU and NATO member of 10.9 million people.

A self-proclaimed “Trumpist,” Babis campaigned on pledges of welfare and halting military aid to Ukraine, which made pundits worry the country might shift toward EU mavericks Slovakia and Hungary. Babis said he would seek backing for his government from the far-right Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) movement, which earned 7.8% for 15 seats, and right-wing newcomers, the Motorists, with 6.8% and 13 seats.

Having received Babis early on Sunday, President Petr Pavel said he would name the new government in November at the earliest to give politicians room for negotiations. Babis, who was Czech premier in 2017-2021, is on good terms with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Slovakia’s Robert Fico, who have maintained ties with Moscow despite its invasion of Ukraine.

But after meeting Pavel, Babis said labeling him as a potential troublemaker was “not fair.” The 71-year-old, Slovak-born Babis stressed he was pro-European and wanted “Europe to work well.” He has, however, cast doubt on continued help for Kyiv in contrast with the outgoing center-right government of Petr Fiala, which has backed Ukraine since it was invaded by Russia in 2022. “Every year, we send €2.5 billion in the budget to Brussels. And of course, Brussels is helping Ukraine. So I think we are there,” Babis said.

‘A responsible member’

Babis also told Ukrainian media that Ukraine was “not prepared for the EU” and that “we have to end the war first.” He has pledged to review a Czech-led international drive launched by Fiala’s government, which has supplied 3.5 million artillery shells to Ukraine since last year. Babis said he was ready to discuss its future with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky.

In the European Parliament, ANO and the Motorists are part of the far-right Patriots for Europe bloc, which Babis co-founded with Orban. Babis met the SPD and Motorists heads on Saturday evening but declined to comment on the outcome, saying only the talks were “mostly positive.”

“We will definitely seek a single-party government led by ANO,” Babis said. SPD and Motorists leaders said Sunday they were ready to participate in the government, without going into detail.