Babiš's government replaced nearly 30 heads of state enterprises in eight months

In just eight months in office, Andrej Babiš's new government has replaced almost 30 heads of state-owned enterprises and institutions — from the Czech Post to Prague Airport. According to political scientist Michal Pink from Masaryk University, the prime minister treats politics as if he were running a commercial company, even though the nomination law requires transparent tenders and the work of independent nomination committees rather than direct appointments from above.

Babiš himself confirms this approach in his own words. After dismissing Czech Post director Miroslav Štěpán in January, he said: "Czech Post is something I keep an eye on, and I will be the one running it."

How the dismissals unfold

The pattern behind these leadership changes at state institutions is usually the same: the overseeing ministry replaces the members of the supervisory board, and the newly reshuffled board then dismisses management. This is exactly what happened at Czech Post and Prague Airport. The head of the Czech Centres, meanwhile, was dismissed directly by the foreign minister.

Some officials formally step down "of their own accord" — submitting resignation letters or requesting a transfer to another position. For instance, the head of one agency, Krapinec, cited personal reasons for leaving, though several sources say the supervisory board was already preparing to remove him. Deputy board chairman Dan Ťok only briefly confirmed that "the board made its decision," without giving specific reasons.

Opposition claims the law is being broken

Zdeněk Hřib, chairman of the opposition Pirate Party, believes the government is ignoring the nomination law and should be assessing candidates based on real competence "rather than handing out cushy jobs to friends," he said.

Reshuffling the leadership of state enterprises after a new cabinet takes office is common practice in Czechia, but the current wave stands out for its pace. While Babiš's first government dismissed 15 executives in its first six months, this one has already removed around thirty in just eight.

Source: novinky.cz