Stories
Czechs Vote in Senate and Local Elections in Test for PM Babis
- •Czech voters began two days of voting to fill one-third of the Senate and elect local representatives.
- •The election serves as the first major test for populist Prime Minister Andrej Babis since returning to power in October 2025.
- •Babis leads the centrist ANO movement, which aims to make gains in the opposition-controlled upper house.
- •The governing coalition includes groups that support reducing aid to Ukraine and rejecting certain EU policies, contrasting with the pro-Western opposition and President Petr Pavel.
- •While the lower house dominates legislation, the Senate holds critical power over constitutional amendments and court appointments.
Key Questions Answered
Czech voters are heading to the polls over two days to fill one-third of the seats in the Senate, which is Parliament’s upper house, and to elect local representatives. Twenty-seven Senate seats are contested in this election, with runoffs scheduled for the following week.
These elections represent the first major political test for populist billionaire Andrej Babis since he returned to power following his decisive parliamentary victory in October 2025. His ANO movement is aiming to make gains in the 81-seat Senate, which is currently controlled by pro-Western opposition parties.
Prime Minister Babis formed a governing coalition with smaller groups whose agenda includes reducing support for Ukraine and rejecting key European Union policies. In contrast, the opposition and President Petr Pavel remain firm supporters of Ukraine following Russia's invasion.
