Former Czech populist prime minister, Andrej Babis, was hospitalized on Monday after being attacked by a man with a cane during a rally ahead of the October parliamentary elections.
The attack took place in the town of Dobra, in eastern Czech Republic. Police said the attacker was immediately arrested and that the incident is being investigated as hooliganism.
Babis was taken to a hospital in the nearby city of Frýdek-Místek for a medical check-up, according to his ANO movement. It is still unclear whether he was injured.
Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala and Interior Minister Vit Rakusan condemned the attack, calling it unacceptable.
ANO, currently in opposition, is considered a strong contender to win the upcoming parliamentary elections on October 3–4, according to polls.
Babis, who first became prime minister in 2017, lost the 2021 parliamentary elections. He also ran for the mostly ceremonial post of president in January 2023 but was defeated by retired general Petr Pavel.
