In a ceremony at Prague Castle on 9 December 2025, President Petr Pavel swore in populist billionaire Andrej Babiš as the Czech Republic’s next prime minister. The ANO movement that Babiš founded won the October parliamentary election on a platform that married promises of higher social spending with fierce criticism of EU climate and asylum legislation. Within hours of being appointed, Babiš confirmed that his coalition will include the far-right Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) party and the single-issue Motorists for Themselves party, giving the new government a comfortable 108-seat majority in the 200-member Chamber of Deputies.
For global-mobility managers the change of government matters because both ANO and SPD campaigned on pledges to resist the EU Migration & Asylum Pact, tighten controls on non-EU workers and scale back support programmes for Ukrainian refugees. Coalition negotiators have already drafted a 20-page “programme declaration” that would introduce annual caps on humanitarian visas, abolish automatic family-reunification entitlements for protection holders and create a points-based work-permit system favouring strategic sectors such as defence electronics and battery production.
![Babiš Returns as Czech Prime Minister, Signals Tougher Line on EU Migration]()
Babiš also indicated that Prague will join Hungary and Slovakia in challenging mandatory burden-sharing rules before the EU Court of Justice if the pact enters into force in 2026. At the same time he sought to reassure investors, saying that manufacturing firms depending on third-country labour “will receive predictable quotas tied to proven shortages.” Business associations welcomed that nuance but warned that any abrupt cut in permits could worsen the already acute labour gap of 200,000 positions.
In foreign policy the incoming premier promised a “pragmatic” course, hinting at a partial rollback of Czech military aid to Kyiv and a review of sanctions that “hurt Czech exporters more than Russia.” European partners, including Germany and the Nordic states, expressed concern but said they would judge the government by its votes in Brussels.
The cabinet is expected to be appointed before the 18–19 December European Council, giving Babiš a high-profile stage to outline his migration demands. Companies with transferee pipelines into Czechia should closely monitor forthcoming ministerial decrees, especially those covering intra-corporate transferees and ICT specialists who currently benefit from streamlined fast-track channels.
For global-mobility managers the change of government matters because both ANO and SPD campaigned on pledges to resist the EU Migration & Asylum Pact, tighten controls on non-EU workers and scale back support programmes for Ukrainian refugees. Coalition negotiators have already drafted a 20-page “programme declaration” that would introduce annual caps on humanitarian visas, abolish automatic family-reunification entitlements for protection holders and create a points-based work-permit system favouring strategic sectors such as defence electronics and battery production.
Babiš also indicated that Prague will join Hungary and Slovakia in challenging mandatory burden-sharing rules before the EU Court of Justice if the pact enters into force in 2026. At the same time he sought to reassure investors, saying that manufacturing firms depending on third-country labour “will receive predictable quotas tied to proven shortages.” Business associations welcomed that nuance but warned that any abrupt cut in permits could worsen the already acute labour gap of 200,000 positions.
In foreign policy the incoming premier promised a “pragmatic” course, hinting at a partial rollback of Czech military aid to Kyiv and a review of sanctions that “hurt Czech exporters more than Russia.” European partners, including Germany and the Nordic states, expressed concern but said they would judge the government by its votes in Brussels.
The cabinet is expected to be appointed before the 18–19 December European Council, giving Babiš a high-profile stage to outline his migration demands. Companies with transferee pipelines into Czechia should closely monitor forthcoming ministerial decrees, especially those covering intra-corporate transferees and ICT specialists who currently benefit from streamlined fast-track channels.
