Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
His ANO party leads with nearly 35% as coalition talks with right-wing allies begin
With more than ninety-nine percent of ballots counted, former prime minister Andrej Babiš and his populist ANO movement have surged to electoral victory in the Czech Republic, capturing approximately 34.7 percent of the vote—well ahead of the incumbent centre-right “Spolu” bloc, which secured 23–23.3 percent.
The result thrusts Babiš back into prime ministerial contention and opens a delicate phase of coalition formation as he seeks majority support.
Babiš has expressed ambition to govern with a single-party cabinet, but lacking an outright majority in the 200-seat Chamber of Deputies, he must rely on cooperation from fringe forces.
He is already in discussions with the far-right Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) party and the Motorists’ party—each of which won seats and has signalled openness to alliance.
During his campaign, Babiš adopted a tone of reassured continuity, emphasising that his administration would remain “pro-European and pro-NATO” even as it opposes key European Union policies on migration and the Green Deal.
He framed his victory as a mandate to “save Europe” by resisting EU overreach, while pledging to reverse elements of the outgoing government’s war support policies.
The outgoing prime minister, Petr Fiala, promptly conceded defeat and congratulated Babiš.
Meanwhile, the Czech president, Petr Pavel, has committed to meet with Babiš to initiate talks on government formation, though he has emphasised that the country must maintain its Western alignment and strategic commitments.
Observers caution that Babiš’s return will test institutional guardrails.
He still faces unresolved legal burdens, including a fraud case involving EU subsidy allocations for his Agrofert conglomerate—previous acquittals have twice been annulled by the courts, and a retrial remains pending.
Nonetheless, the scale of ANO’s lead—projected to translate into around eighty parliamentary seats—gives Babiš considerable leverage in coalition bargaining.
His political comeback is one of the most dramatic in recent Central European history and could recalibrate the Czech Republic’s stance toward Ukraine, EU policy, and regional balance among populist governments.
The result thrusts Babiš back into prime ministerial contention and opens a delicate phase of coalition formation as he seeks majority support.
Babiš has expressed ambition to govern with a single-party cabinet, but lacking an outright majority in the 200-seat Chamber of Deputies, he must rely on cooperation from fringe forces.
He is already in discussions with the far-right Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) party and the Motorists’ party—each of which won seats and has signalled openness to alliance.
During his campaign, Babiš adopted a tone of reassured continuity, emphasising that his administration would remain “pro-European and pro-NATO” even as it opposes key European Union policies on migration and the Green Deal.
He framed his victory as a mandate to “save Europe” by resisting EU overreach, while pledging to reverse elements of the outgoing government’s war support policies.
The outgoing prime minister, Petr Fiala, promptly conceded defeat and congratulated Babiš.
Meanwhile, the Czech president, Petr Pavel, has committed to meet with Babiš to initiate talks on government formation, though he has emphasised that the country must maintain its Western alignment and strategic commitments.
Observers caution that Babiš’s return will test institutional guardrails.
He still faces unresolved legal burdens, including a fraud case involving EU subsidy allocations for his Agrofert conglomerate—previous acquittals have twice been annulled by the courts, and a retrial remains pending.
Nonetheless, the scale of ANO’s lead—projected to translate into around eighty parliamentary seats—gives Babiš considerable leverage in coalition bargaining.
His political comeback is one of the most dramatic in recent Central European history and could recalibrate the Czech Republic’s stance toward Ukraine, EU policy, and regional balance among populist governments.
