Babiš Lashes Out at Judges: "Come Over, I'll Explain It Myself"

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš sharply criticized judges in a home video address, saying he is ready to personally receive representatives of the Union of Judges at the Office of the Government, where his lawyer will explain to them the essence of the "Stork's Nest" criminal case — a subsidy fraud case in which the prime minister is a defendant.

An invitation with a lawyer

"If anyone from the Union of Judges has a problem, come over. I'll gladly receive you at the Office of the Government. My lawyer can explain what the 'Stork's Nest' case is about. It's a political trial," said Babiš, who has been temporarily shielded from the jurisdiction of investigators accusing him of complicity in subsidy fraud thanks to his parliamentary immunity.

The tone of the address looked telling: the executive branch is effectively "inviting" the judiciary to a meeting on its own turf, where "my lawyer" will explain everything — with no neutral platform for dialogue.

"People get locked up to order here"

This is far from the prime minister's first such statement. In recent weeks Babiš has repeatedly claimed that "people can be jailed to order here," that "there are judges who hand down rulings without evidence," and that the judge in the "Stork's Nest" case allegedly "ruled like a prosecutor, like in the old days." Commentators note that such words from the head of government of a democratic country sound highly unusual — even Donald Trump, who also calls himself a victim of the system, does not invite judges to the White House so his lawyer can "explain everything to them."

Counterattack: verdicts for violence

The Union of Judges, prosecutors and the Czech Bar Association pushed back against the prime minister's attacks. In response, Babiš went on the counteroffensive, claiming that trust in the justice system is being undermined not by politicians who criticize court rulings, but by the judges themselves — those who, in his words, hand down suspended sentences for grave cases of rape or child sexual abuse. He also said that over the past four years the state has paid out 400 million crowns in compensation for unjustified criminal prosecution of citizens.

Presidential ambitions and the Constitution

Against this backdrop, rumors have again intensified about a possible bid by Andrej Babiš for the Czech presidency in the 2028 election. Observers point out that the prime minister has already vividly demonstrated how easily the boundaries between branches of power blur for him. Under the Czech Constitution, judges are independent in the performance of their duties, and no one has the right to threaten their impartiality — and critics say it is precisely this principle that is now being tested.

Around Prague, based on reporting by seznamzpravy.cz