Czech leader claims pro-Trump advantage in defence spending miss

{"text":[[{"start":8.7,"text":"European leaders whose countries lag behind on defence spending can expect to face the wrath of Donald Trump at a Nato summit this summer — unless they are fellow billionaire populists such as Andrej Babiš."}],[{"start":20.049999999999997,"text":"The Czech prime minister told the FT his country would “probably” miss the 2 per cent of GDP target this year. But he said he had the “advantage” of being one of the last leaders in the region to openly support the US president."}],[{"start":35.849999999999994,"text":"“I am a Trumpist,” Babiš said at his office in Prague. “I met him five times and was criticised by others, but we should have an advantage.”"}],[{"start":45.949999999999996,"text":"European allies are bracing for a bruising encounter with Trump at the Nato meeting in Ankara on July 7-8, fearing recriminations over spending levels and a perceived lack of support for his war in Iran. "}],[{"start":59.89999999999999,"text":"Babiš made a fortune through his agrifood and industrial conglomerate Agrofert before turning to politics. He served a first mandate as prime minister from 2017 to 2021. In opposition, he steered his ANO party, once part of the European liberal family, into a far-right alliance with Hungary’s Viktor Orbán and France’s Marine Le Pen."}],[{"start":83.14999999999999,"text":"Since returning to power in December, Babiš has emerged as one of Europe’s leading potential disrupters, all the more so after Orbán’s crushing defeat in elections last month. "}],[{"start":null,"text":"

"}],[{"start":94.55,"text":"In the interview, the Czech leader berated the EU institutions for pushing the European economy into the abyss with its decarbonisation drive."}],[{"start":102.75,"text":"“The EU is now probably on the same road as the end of the Roman empire,” he said."}],[{"start":108.05,"text":"On defence, Babiš said “we will do our best” to hit the 2 per cent pledge, first agreed by Nato in 2014. But he said his government — a coalition of three nationalist Eurosceptic parties — was grappling with a budget shortfall due to overspending by his pro-EU predecessor."}],[{"start":126.3,"text":"The government in February announced a draft defence budget of 2.1 per cent of GDP, but this includes a highway linking the Czech capital to the Polish border. Although strategically important, the highway is unlikely to count as core defence spending by Nato standards, a point Babiš acknowledged. "}],[{"start":144.65,"text":"As a result, the Czech Republic is set to be one of only a few Nato countries to miss the 2 per cent spending target. "}],[{"start":151.8,"text":"The prime minister said Prague was committed to meeting defence spending Nato’s new target of 3.5 per cent of GDP by 2035. But he said the alliance should focus more on improving capabilities than on spending targets, which could be easily manipulated. "}],[{"start":167.3,"text":"“If we speak only about percentages, I don’t know how this is really going to make Europe more defence capable,” he said. "}],[{"start":174.4,"text":"Babiš argued that allies should be reassured by his focus on defence during his previous terms in office from 2014 to 2021. Back then, defence spending doubled, with an emphasis on air defence and modernising the Czech army’s heavy armoured brigade."}],[{"start":190.70000000000002,"text":"Czech president Petr Pavel told the FT in a separate interview that Prague would not be immune from criticism from the US president or other allies. Pavel and Babiš are at loggerheads over who should represent their country at Nato’s Ankara summit."}],[{"start":204.70000000000002,"text":"A founding member of the far-right Patriots for Europe group in the European parliament alongside Orbán and Austria’s hardline Freedom party, Babiš insisted it was a “pragmatic alliance” that would help protect Czech interests. "}],[{"start":218.50000000000003,"text":"He said he hoped to revive the so-called Visegrád Four group together with Poland, Hungary and Slovakia as an influential caucus in the EU despite pro-EU governments holding office in Warsaw and now Budapest."}],[{"start":234.65000000000003,"text":"Babiš has been accused of pursuing Orbán’s illiberal agenda, with plans to replace a television licence fee with central government funding, which critics say is a means to curtail the public broadcaster’s editorial independence. The government is also drawing up disclosure rules for foreign-funded NGOs, similar to Hungary’s “foreign agent” law. "}],[{"start":254.20000000000005,"text":"Babiš said both proposals were intended to increase transparency for the public."}],[{"start":259.45000000000005,"text":"As in his first term as premier, Babiš continues to be dogged by claims of a conflict of interest between his government responsibilities and business interests. "}],[{"start":269.00000000000006,"text":"On Tuesday, the European Commission said it was seeking further reassurances from the premier on how he intended to put all his business assets into a blind trust. The Czech opposition is claiming some of Babiš’s companies, particularly in healthcare, are still getting EU subsidies at a time when Babiš sets policy. "}],[{"start":289.45000000000005,"text":"But Babiš told the FT he had dealt with the issue “far beyond the requirements” of Czech and EU law."}],[{"start":296.55000000000007,"text":"“I no longer own Agrofert, and the shares will never be returned to me for the rest of my life. I also derive no benefit from the company, and that will remain the case even after I leave politics. I honestly do not know what more I could possibly do.”"}],[{"start":318.20000000000005,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1780278211_5867.mp3"}