‘Attack on my country’: Czech PM Babis slams EU report on his former business empire

4 Jun, 2019 17:20 / Updated 5 years ago

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis has said a confidential EU report, which concluded that his former business empire poses a conflict of interest, is an attack on his country.

Babis had to transfer ownership of his businesses to two trust funds when he was elected. However, the preliminary report –leaked to Czech media in recent days– concluded he still formally controls the businesses while he remains in a position to influence the EU subsidies they receive.

Babis says he would be a fool to do it, AP reported. In a speech to lawmakers, he said the EU findings were untrue.

He called the report "an attack on the Czech Republic, an attack on the Czech interest, a destabilization of the Czech Republic."