Czech PM Babis suffers setback in Senate elections
Pro-Western opposition parties won 22 of 27 seats, leaving Andrej Babis's ANO without representation in the 81-member chamber.
- On Saturday, Oct 17, 2026, pro-Western opposition parties secured 22 of 27 contested seats in the Czech Republic's Senate, maintaining control of the 81-seat upper house.
- Prime Minister Andrej Babis's centrist ANO party failed to win any seats in the two-round election, losing the single seat it previously held while coalition partners ended empty-handed.
- Although Parliament's lower house dominates legislation, the Senate plays a critical role in passing constitutional amendments and approving Constitutional Court judges, giving opposition significant leverage.
- These elections marked the first major test for Babis since his return to power in Oct 2025, signaling significant erosion of the political momentum that initially propelled his government.
- Continued opposition control complicates the government's ability to advance its controversial agenda, which includes reducing support for Ukraine and rejecting key European Union policies.
87 Articles
87 Articles
In the Senate elections in the Czech Republic, the right-wing populist ANO party of Prime Minister Babis suffered a defeat.
der Standard AT
der Standard DEThe government of Andrej Babiš did not have a majority in the House of Lords. But even if the circumstances have not changed much: the billionaire has to nibble at the election result
Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš's ANO party was left without a single mandate in the second round of Senate elections, although it put forward the most candidates. Babish called the results catastrophic and announced a reboot of the party.
In the Czech Republic, one third of the 81-seat Senate was re-elected on 16 and 17 October, with the election of the Babish faction having one less senator.
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