EU Commission labels Babiš trust fund insufficient to resolve conflict

The critique surfaced in a 9 September letter to the European Parliament’s Budgetary Control Committee, highlighting that Babiš’s descendants remain the primary beneficiaries of the fund’s profits. Because the Prime Minister retains visibility over the conglomerate’s holdings and family members influence internal changes, Brussels concluded that the trust provides only a superficial layer of separation.

Serafin noted that the current measures are insufficient to mitigate personal economic interests, casting doubt on Babiš’s impartiality when overseeing policies that directly impact his former business interests. While the commission pledged to take necessary steps to protect the Union budget, it stopped short of detailing specific punitive actions. This assessment follows a protracted review of documents submitted by Czech authorities, which Transparency International has long characterized as a convenient loophole for family administration rather than a true divestment.