Czech opposition outpaced the ruling party in first round of Senate election
ANO won the most individual candidates, but opposition coalitions advanced more overall and no ANO candidate won a seat outright.
- On Sunday, the Czech Statistics Office confirmed that 13 ANO candidates and 26 opposition candidates advanced to next week's Senate runoffs following first-round voting for 27 contested seats across the Czech Republic.
- Prime Minister Andrej Babis leads a coalition government with AUTO and SPD that has sought to reduce support for Ukraine and reject certain European Union policies since taking power in October 2025.
- Five candidates secured Senate seats outright in the first round, equaling a 2024 record, while none were from the ANO movement, according to Eva Krumpov of the Czech Statistics Office.
- Twenty-Two Senate seats remain for next week's runoffs, where pro-Western opposition coalitions have collectively advanced 26 candidates to challenge the ANO movement.
- The Senate plays a critical role in passing constitutional amendments and approving Constitutional Court judges, adding significance to these elections as Babis faces pressure regarding the country's widening budget deficit.
81 Articles
81 Articles
(London=Yonhap News) Correspondent Kim Ji-yeon = In the first round of voting for the Czech Senate election held on the 9th (local time), the pro-Western opposition [supported] right-wing populist Andrej Babiš...
Pro-Western parliamentary opposition parties and groups, which joined forces in many districts through broad coalitions, have succeeded in bringing a total of 26 candidates to the next round, compared with 13 in Babis
A result that reveals the weaknesses of the ruling coalition
Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis' ANO party faced a tough challenge in the first round of the Senate elections held over the weekend, in a vote that was seen as a gauge of public support for his government. Czechs voted on Friday and Saturday to elect local representatives, as well as a third of the Senate. According to the Czech Statistical Office, 154 candidates ran for 27 Senate seats, Telegrafi reports. Only five candidates managed to secur…
Czech PM Babiš's ANO faces stiff test in Senate election
“Five senators were elected in the first round, equalling the historic record set in 2024,” Eva Krumpová, first deputy chair of the Czech Statistics Office, said. Of the five candidates to win seats outright, none were from the ANO.
The liberal and conservative opposition in the Czech Republic achieved a surprising success in yesterday's elections for the Senate, the upper house of the Czech parliament.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 47% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
