Former Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis assaulted during parliamentary election campaign
Andrej Babis, the former Czech Prime Minister, required a brief hospitalization after being struck in the head by a walking stick during a Monday campaign stop.
The incident unfolded in Dobra, a village located in the nation’s east, as the leader of the right-wing ANO party was engaging with supporters in anticipation of the October parliamentary election.
ANO spokesman Martin Vodicka stated that an attacker hit Babis from behind with a “metal object.” However, ANO Member of Parliament Zuzana Ozanova informed the website iDENS.cz that the politician was struck by a walking stick. Authorities confirmed the assailant, whose identity has not been released, was apprehended on site, and their motives are currently unknown.
Babis underwent medical tests at a hospital before being released. On X, he posted, “Thank you all for your support. I hope I’ll be fine. Tomorrow I’ll be waiting for further assessment of the examination results, but for now the doctors have recommended that I rest.” Consequently, he cancelled a similar trip planned for Tuesday.
Alena Schillerova, ANO’s deputy leader, attributed the assault to “hatred propagated by the ruling parties via billboards and social media.”
Writing on X, she added, “This is a direct consequence of their campaign based on fear and division.”
Babis, Prime Minister from 2017 to 2021, has taken a stance against providing weapons to Ukraine, advocating instead for a diplomatic resolution to the conflict between Moscow and Kiev. He has consistently refuted allegations of disseminating “Russian narratives.”