Political developments in Prague could soon reshape Czechia’s stance on European immigration and labour-mobility files. On 12 November President Petr Pavel publicly demanded that election-winner Andrej Babiš publish a detailed plan to sever his ownership links to the Agrofert conglomerate before he can be appointed prime minister. The ultimatum delays the installation of an ANO-SPD-Motorists coalition that campaigned on curbing EU climate targets and watering down Brussels’ migration initiatives.
Although the clash looks like a domestic ethics dispute, multinational employers have a direct stake. The prospective coalition agreement—still under negotiation—includes language calling for "strict control of work permits for third-country nationals" and for using the Czech veto to reopen parts of the newly adopted EU Migration Pact. One draft seen by local media would limit annual quotas for non-EU labour programmes and reintroduce mandatory labour-market tests that the outgoing cabinet had abolished for shortage occupations.
![President Pavel Tells PM-Designate Babiš to Clarify Business Ties Amid Coalition’s Anti-Migration Agenda]()
President Pavel’s demand slows that timetable. Constitutional lawyers warn that if Babiš refuses to place Agrofert beyond potential influence, the appointment could end up in the Constitutional Court—pushing any policy reversals well into 2026. In the meantime, the caretaker administration remains empowered to keep existing pro-business mobility schemes—such as the Qualified Worker and Digital-Nomad programmes—running without new caps.
For HR teams the message is “watch and wait”. Companies planning 2026 head-count moves to Czechia should lodge employee-card applications as early as quotas open in January, before any possible tightening. They should also brief senior management that political uncertainty—not administrative backlog—could become the main risk factor for Czech work-permit timelines over the next six months.
Although the clash looks like a domestic ethics dispute, multinational employers have a direct stake. The prospective coalition agreement—still under negotiation—includes language calling for "strict control of work permits for third-country nationals" and for using the Czech veto to reopen parts of the newly adopted EU Migration Pact. One draft seen by local media would limit annual quotas for non-EU labour programmes and reintroduce mandatory labour-market tests that the outgoing cabinet had abolished for shortage occupations.
President Pavel’s demand slows that timetable. Constitutional lawyers warn that if Babiš refuses to place Agrofert beyond potential influence, the appointment could end up in the Constitutional Court—pushing any policy reversals well into 2026. In the meantime, the caretaker administration remains empowered to keep existing pro-business mobility schemes—such as the Qualified Worker and Digital-Nomad programmes—running without new caps.
For HR teams the message is “watch and wait”. Companies planning 2026 head-count moves to Czechia should lodge employee-card applications as early as quotas open in January, before any possible tightening. They should also brief senior management that political uncertainty—not administrative backlog—could become the main risk factor for Czech work-permit timelines over the next six months.
