Former Czech prime minister Andrej Babiš met with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Monday. During their meeting at the Élysée Palace, the two leaders discussed a number of current European issues, including the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the energy crisis in Europe.

Babiš described Macron as the most important politician currently in Europe and said that he was interested in his opinion on ending the war in Ukraine. The trip to Paris also coincided with a ruling in Prague’s municipal court on Monday which acquitted Babiš of fraud charges.

He had insisted that the charges were politically motivated. Babiš also met with French billionaire Bernard Arnault, who is understood to be the world’s current richest man. They discussed charity and investments in healthcare research, as well as the general situation in the world and the war in Ukraine. Babiš is running as a candidate in the Czech presidential election later this week.

Article by Prague Forum