Andrej Babiš’s ANO party has won the Czech parliamentary election held on Oct. 3–4, securing 34.5 percent of the vote and 80 of the 200 seats in the Chamber of Deputies.
Despite the commanding victory, it leaves Babiš short of the 101 seats required for a majority and facing difficult coalition talks with smaller, more radical parties.
The center-right SPOLU coalition, led by outgoing Prime Minister Petr Fiala, suffered heavy losses, taking just 23.4 percent and 52 seats. The centrist Mayors and Independents (STAN) followed with 11.2 percent and 22 seats, while the Czech Pirate Party rebounded strongly with 9 percent and 18 seats. Tomio Okamura’s nationalist Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) secured 7.8 percent and 15 seats, and the anti-establishment Motorists party secured 6.8 percent and 13 seats.
No other party crossed the five-percent threshold. The left-wing Stačilo! alliance narrowly failed to enter parliament with roughly 4.3 percent of the vote, marking another setback for the Czech left.
Turnout stood at nearly 69 percent, one of the highest in recent years.
Babiš, who served as prime minister from 2017 to 2021, declared victory on Saturday night, telling supporters that “voters have made it clear that they want change.” He vowed to “form a strong, stable government that will put Czech citizens first” and said his priority would be tackling inflation and cutting energy prices.
Outgoing Prime Minister Petr Fiala conceded defeat and congratulated Babiš, acknowledging that “the governing coalition no longer has the mandate to continue.” He said SPOLU would now serve as a constructive opposition and “defend the Czech Republic’s European and democratic orientation.”
With 80 seats, ANO cannot govern alone. Babiš has ruled out cooperation with SPOLU, STAN, or the Pirates, and instead plans to form either a minority government tolerated by smaller right-wing parties or a formal coalition with SPD and the Motorists. Together, those three groups would control 108 seats.
Such a coalition would, however, face resistance from President Petr Pavel, who has signaled that he would refuse to appoint ministers hostile to the European Union or NATO. SPD leader Tomio Okamura said he would only back Babiš if his party received ministerial positions and if the government pledged to oppose further migration quotas and European climate regulations. Motorists leader Petr Macinka likewise demanded “real influence, not just symbolic gestures.”
However, ANO deputy leader Karel Havlicek told Czech Television on Sunday, “We will not compromise on our promises and program. It is true that the key to starting the economy is our Economic Strategy. We are a solid part of NATO and the EU, and it will remain that way. The Alliance is the basis of security, but the Union must undergo fundamental reform.”
The most likely outcome is a minority ANO government relying on support from the fringes in key votes. “Babiš will try to govern alone but with external backing from SPD and the Motorists,” political scientist Lukáš Jelínek told Czech Television. “The president may tolerate that arrangement, but it will be a fragile one.”
No major resignations have been announced so far, though leaders of the defeated Stačilo! alliance said they would “review the campaign and leadership structure” after falling short of parliament.
The election signals another nationalist shift in Central Europe, aligning Prague more closely with Hungary and Slovakia in opposing EU migration and environmental policies, while maintaining formal support for NATO.
It will also inevitably have ramifications for Ukraine, with Babiš far more in the camp of Viktor Orbán and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico on further financing and arming Kyiv.
Truth has prevailed! @AndrejBabis has won the Czech parliamentary elections with a convincing lead. A big step for the Czech Republic, good news for Europe. Congratulations, Andrej! pic.twitter.com/jyqU5EVqc6
— Orbán Viktor (@PM_ViktorOrban) October 4, 2025Orbán took to social media to congratulate his political ally, writing, “Truth has prevailed! Andrej Babiš has won the Czech parliamentary elections with a convincing lead. A big step for the Czech Republic, good news for Europe.”
Italian deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini, an ally of Babis’ ANO in the Patriots for Europe parliamentary party, also wrote, “The Patriots are advancing all across Europe! Our friend Andrej Babiš, an ally of the League in the EU, wins the elections in the Czech Republic, crushes the left (at historic lows!), and is preparing to lead a government that will focus on fighting illegal immigration, saying no to war, and stopping Brussels’ crazy policies.”
