BRUSSELS – European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen met with Czech Prime Minister-designate Andrej Babiš in Brussels on 11 December 2025. According to a report by Czech Television (ČT24), von der Leyen described the meeting as „a good meeting“ and praised Babiš’s „support for strengthening Europe’s competitiveness“ on social media. According to ČT24, the two also discussed strengthening Ukraine „on its path to a just and lasting peace“ and agreed to continue discussing these topics at the upcoming European Council meeting.
The meeting took place at the European Commission building in Brussels; according to available reports, it was a relatively short and formal meeting – a welcome, a group photo, the presentation of flowers, and subsequent closed-door talks. Babiš then continued on to further talks with Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever and European Council President António Costa, as confirmed by a report on ČT24.
The context of the negotiations is also evident from international news reports: Reuters notes that intensive talks are currently underway in Brussels on options for financing further support for Ukraine, including proposals on how to use frozen Russian assets or mobilise loans on capital markets. According to Reuters, Ursula von der Leyen has held constructive discussions with other European leaders in recent days on ways to secure funds for Kyiv ahead of the December summit.
The meeting has both symbolic and practical significance for the Czech Republic: it was Andrej Babiš's first meeting with EU leaders since his appointment as Prime Minister, and Babiš is expected to take a position ahead of the upcoming European Council summit, where leaders will decide on the form of further aid to Ukraine and on priorities for strengthening European competitiveness.
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