(thread)
Czech Prime Minister Babiš now faces a major scandal. Here are the basics to understand it.
- Babiš sr is being prosecuted by Czech police for alleged fraud of EU subsidies (approx 2 million EUR). Babiš sr put his own children to be legally responsible for the issue.
Czech Prime Minister Babiš now faces a major scandal. Here are the basics to understand it.
- Babiš sr is being prosecuted by Czech police for alleged fraud of EU subsidies (approx 2 million EUR). Babiš sr put his own children to be legally responsible for the issue.
- I am skipping all the details related to the domestic criminal case. BUT:
- Now it is confirmed that son of the Czech PM was in Crimea between September - November 2017.
- Allegedly, he was there on holidays.
- Now it is confirmed that son of the Czech PM was in Crimea between September - November 2017.
- Allegedly, he was there on holidays.
- But what is confirmed is that Babiš sr. hired a Russian person to take care of his son, to accompany him.
- This Russian handler took Babiš jr. to Kaliningrad in 2016 and to Crimea in 2017. No reasonable explanation why. His father in law has dubious Russia-linked background.
- This Russian handler took Babiš jr. to Kaliningrad in 2016 and to Crimea in 2017. No reasonable explanation why. His father in law has dubious Russia-linked background.
- When son of Czech PM was in Crimea for three months, his Russian handler found him a girlfriend (form Eastern Ukraine). It is confirmed, public pictures are out.
- His Russian handler left the son of Czech PM in Crimea alone for several weeks at least.
- All this confirmed.
- His Russian handler left the son of Czech PM in Crimea alone for several weeks at least.
- All this confirmed.
- NOW WHAT IT MEANS:
- Russia pressures Czech PM Babiš sr. to agree on major nuclear deal for Rosatom, which would effectively provide strategic corruption tool as it did with Paks 2 in Hungary.
- We do not know if Czech PM was blackmailed by Russian entities or why he did it.
- Russia pressures Czech PM Babiš sr. to agree on major nuclear deal for Rosatom, which would effectively provide strategic corruption tool as it did with Paks 2 in Hungary.
- We do not know if Czech PM was blackmailed by Russian entities or why he did it.
- Many questions are now being asked if Czech PM Babiš sr. did send his son to Crimea intentionally (and why) or what has been the Russian part of this (we know FSB controls Crimea 100 %).
- Domestic criminal case interlinks with this Russian part of the story.
- Domestic criminal case interlinks with this Russian part of the story.
LIKELY OUTCOME:
Option 1: Babiš sr. fights it off, no changes.
Option 2: Babiš sr resigns, puts in puppet PM but still runs the show
Option 3 (unlikely):Government collapses, President Zeman (Russian trojan horse) puts in his "caretaker" cabinet to arrange the deal for Rosatom
Option 1: Babiš sr. fights it off, no changes.
Option 2: Babiš sr resigns, puts in puppet PM but still runs the show
Option 3 (unlikely):Government collapses, President Zeman (Russian trojan horse) puts in his "caretaker" cabinet to arrange the deal for Rosatom
TAKEAWAYS:
- We are unsure if Czech PM was blackmailed by Russia over his son in late 2017 or if Czech PM played an active role in this.
- What we will follow closely:government actions on the nuclear deal (for Rosatom) which Babiš sr. started to back away from in recent weeks
- We are unsure if Czech PM was blackmailed by Russia over his son in late 2017 or if Czech PM played an active role in this.
- What we will follow closely:government actions on the nuclear deal (for Rosatom) which Babiš sr. started to back away from in recent weeks
This might be interesting for: @edwardlucas @20committee @RoFreudenstein @JulianRoepcke @Makeiev @john_sipher @evanoconnell @IlvesToomas @Kateryna_Kruk @MollyMcKew
Please share it so int media start covering this major Russia-linked story. Thanks, dear friends.
Please share it so int media start covering this major Russia-linked story. Thanks, dear friends.
