Czech Agrofert subsidy controversy

In July 2026 the European Union repaid 204 million Czech crowns to 63 companies of the Agrofert holding for subsidies recorded in the May 2023 State Agricultural Intervention Fund report. The reimbursement followed an independent analysis that validated the expenditures and was transferred from the EU budget to the Czech treasury. Opposition parties criticised the payment and called for a pause pending the EU’s conflict‑of‑interest investigation into former prime minister Andrej Babiš, who placed Agrofert assets in a trust.

Later in July, the State Agricultural and Forestry Support Fund launched legal actions against 28 Agrofert subsidiaries, seeking repayment of about 22 million crowns. The fund said voluntary repayment requests had been ignored, prompting pre‑court proceedings and now formal lawsuits. The disputed subsidies relate to agricultural insurance, land and equipment purchases, and loan‑interest support.

In early August, Babiš faced renewed EU pressure as former commissioner Pavel Telička warned that the Commission could withhold future EU subsidies for Agrofert and impose fines while the conflict‑of‑interest case remains unresolved. The controversy also spilled into the mining sector, with energy group Sev.en refusing to fund post‑mining remediation through the State Environmental Fund, prompting criticism of the prime minister’s handling of the issue.