The State Agricultural Intervention Fund (SZIF) is an institution that distributes European and national subsidies to farmers [1][2]. Since the government of Andrej Babiš took office, it has also dealt with disputed subsidies for the holding Agrofert and the prime minister's possible conflict of interest [2].
Fund leadership
Director General Petr Dlouhý headed the fund from December 2022, when he succeeded Martin Šebestyán, Minister of Agriculture for SPD [1]. In an interview with the Czech News Agency in January 2026, Šebestyán said he had reservations about the fund's management, but was not planning personnel changes at that time [1].
On 20 October 2026 the fund announced in a press release that Dlouhý was leaving his post. He is to leave at the end of October 2026. The fund gave a personal decision as the reason and explicitly rejected that it was the result of political pressure [1][2][3]. Until the selection procedure is completed, the fund is to be led by its deputy Filip Sova. According to spokeswoman Eva Češpiva, the selection procedure for a new director general is to be announced soon after Dlouhý's departure [1][2].
The fund stated that during Dlouhý's tenure it took part in modernising the institution and introduced a system that continuously monitors agricultural land using satellite images. It is used to verify whether applicants for land subsidies meet the conditions [1][2].
Agrofert subsidies
In February 2026 the fund's supervisory board called on the management to start recovering subsidies paid to companies of the Agrofert concern during Babiš's first term as prime minister in 2017 to 2021. In April 2026 the fund decided, on the basis of legal analyses, not to recover the European entitlement subsidies retroactively; according to Dlouhý it would not have strong enough arguments to succeed in court. National subsidies, which Dlouhý estimated at roughly one billion koruna, were dealt with separately [1].
After Babiš took office as prime minister, the fund suspended payments of subsidies to Agrofert. At the end of April 2026 it began allocating subsidies to the holding's companies again on the basis of independent legal opinions, because it concluded that the placing of Agrofert shares into the trust fund RSVP Trust resolves the conflict of interest sufficiently [1][2].
The European Commission does not share this conclusion. In September 2026 it temporarily suspended the reimbursement of roughly 77 million koruna to Czechia in connection with subsidies for Agrofert; according to Novinky this is a temporary measure, not a final decision on unlawful payment of the subsidies [1]. According to Hospodářské noviny, the Commission also concluded that Babiš is in a potential conflict of interest in the management of cohesion and agricultural funds [2].
Chronology
- — The director general of the State Agricultural Intervention Fund, Petr Dlouhý, announced his departure from the post; he gave personal reasons and rejected any connection with politics. Novinky.cz Hospodářské noviny
Pages linking here
Sources
- Novinky.cz — 20 October 2026
- Hospodářské noviny — 20 October 2026
- Echo24 — 20 October 2026