World

Czech Government Formation in Crisis: How a Social Media Scandal Threatens Andrej Babiš’s Coalition

Turek’s alleged posts threaten Czech government formation. The Motorists party may leave coalition talks, jeopardizing Babiš’s majority.

byAndres Castro

October 13, 2025, 5:49 PM

Prime Minister Andrej Babis smiles in front of several national flags

Prime Minister Andrej Babis arrives for a meeting with European Union leaders in Brussels. By Alexandros Michailidis / Shutterstock.com.

Executive Summary

Filip Turek, a front-runner for Czech foreign minister from the Motorists for Themselves party, is embroiled in a scandal over alleged racist, sexist, and homophobic social media comments, which he vehemently denies.

The controversy has led Turek’s Motorists party to threaten to withdraw from coalition negotiations, potentially jeopardizing Andrej Babiš’s ability to form a majority government with ANO and the SPD.

Police are investigating the alleged posts, and the outcome of this investigation, along with Babiš’s discussions with the Motorists, will be crucial in determining the path forward for the incoming Czech administration.

The Story So Far

Following Andrej Babiš’s ANO party’s victory in the recent Czech election, efforts to form a coalition government with the far-right Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) and the Motorists for Themselves party are underway, with the Motorists’ support being crucial for Babiš to secure a parliamentary majority. However, these negotiations have been thrown into disarray by a scandal involving Filip Turek, a prominent Motorists’ figure and a front-runner for foreign minister, who is facing allegations of making racist, sexist, and homophobic comments on social media prior to entering politics, allegations he vehemently denies.

Why This Matters

The scandal involving Filip Turek and the Motorists for Themselves party has thrown Czech government formation into disarray, as their threatened withdrawal from coalition talks could prevent Andrej Babiš’s ANO party from securing a parliamentary majority. This situation may force Babiš to seek alliances with parties previously unwilling to cooperate, introducing significant uncertainty and potential instability for the incoming administration.

Who Thinks What?

Filip Turek and the Motorists for Themselves party vehemently deny the allegations of racist, sexist, and homophobic comments, with Turek calling them an absolute rejection and the party filing a criminal complaint against Deník N; they also threaten to withdraw from coalition negotiations if Turek’s role as foreign minister is compromised.

Andrej Babiš and the ANO party aim to form a majority government with the Motorists and SPD, recognizing that without the Motorists’ backing, he would lack the necessary majority and is scheduled to meet with Turek and Macinka to resolve the escalating situation.

Critics, including news outlet Deník N (who reported the allegations), the organization Romea (which launched a petition against Turek’s nomination), and President Petr Pavel, view the alleged comments as a “major problem” if confirmed, urging against Turek’s appointment as a Cabinet minister.

Talks on forming a new Czech government have been thrown into disarray after Filip Turek, a front-runner for the foreign minister position from the Motorists for Themselves party, became embroiled in a scandal over alleged social media comments. The controversy has led the Motorists party to threaten to withdraw from coalition negotiations with Andrej Babiš’s right-wing populist ANO and the far-right Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD), potentially jeopardizing Babiš’s ability to form a majority government.

Allegations and Denials

Czech news outlet Deník N reported over the weekend that Turek, a former Member of the European Parliament and racing driver, had made racist, sexist, and homophobic comments on Facebook before entering politics. Turek has vehemently denied these claims in a video posted on Facebook, stating, “I absolutely reject the idea that I would have created something like that, written it, or even had such a thought. This has crossed all boundaries.”

Police are now investigating the posts, and the Motorists party announced they are filing a criminal complaint against Deník N. Motorists’ party chairman Petr Macinka issued a firm ultimatum on Monday, declaring on Czech TV program “Otázky Václava Moravce” that his party would either be in government or in opposition, signaling no compromise on Turek’s role.

Political Repercussions

The organization Romea, which works on behalf of the Roma community, has launched a petition urging ANO chairman Babiš and Czech President Petr Pavel not to nominate Turek as a Cabinet minister. President Pavel, who is responsible for officially appointing ministers, stated that if the authenticity of the posts is confirmed, it would present “a major problem.”

Turek has faced several controversies since his entry into politics and his election to the European Parliament last year. These include an investigation into an image that appeared to show him making a Nazi salute, as well as allegations of rape and abuse from his ex-girlfriend. Turek has consistently denied all these allegations, labeling them “absurd.”

Impact on Government Formation

Andrej Babiš, who secured a decisive victory in the Czech election earlier this month, aims to form a government with the support of the SPD and the Motorists. Without the Motorists’ backing, Babiš would lack a majority in parliament, necessitating cooperation from parties that have previously refused to align with him. Babiš is scheduled to meet with both Turek and Macinka later on Monday to address the escalating situation.

Outlook

The ongoing scandal surrounding Filip Turek introduces significant uncertainty into the formation of the next Czech government. The outcome of the police investigation and Babiš’s discussions with the Motorists party will be crucial in determining the path forward for the incoming administration.