Multipolar Babiš

21.05.2015 - EB

Biofuel is a Kč 20bn annual business for Andrej Babiš. That's 12% of his Agrofert revenue, and writing off this amount, plus the cost of the fairly new biofuel facilities, would be a big financial blow to the country's richest and most conflict-ridden minister. Because of his conflicts, Babiš exhibits signs of a multipolar personality. As a private person, it makes "absolutely no difference" to him whether the biofuel incentive remains. As an MP, he wanted ANO to vote yesterday against extending the incentive, but he himself abstained. Yet as the owner of Agrofert, Kč 20bn is still Kč 20bn, and the industrialist within him wins. After all, he has a fiduciary duty to his other personalities. There are two main ways to look at Babiš's money grab: Either he feels his position is so secure, including support from Brussels, that he can get away with nigh on anything. Or, he knows the game is up and wants to take the money while the getting is good.

Glossary of difficult words

multipolar - (in this context) going from one extreme to another to another;

fiduciary duty - a legal obligation to act solely in someone else's interest, not in one's own;

nigh on - almost;

game is up - the illegal activity has been discovered or has come to an end;

(to get out) while the getting is good - to leave or do something while there is still a chance to do so.



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