Czech citizens began casting ballots on Saturday, entering the second day of a nationwide vote to elect local representatives and one-third of the Senate’s members. The election is widely regarded as a popularity test for Prime Minister Andrej Babiš.
Babiš, who previously held the office from 2017 to 2021, returned to power after his ANO party secured a decisive victory in parliamentary elections in October 2025. Currently holding a commanding lead in opinion polls, ANO—the country’s most popular party—formed a nationalist coalition with the Motorists for Themselves (AUTO) and Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) parties.
The billionaire populist, who founded the Agrofert food and chemicals conglomerate, is now targeting further gains for his party within the 81-seat Senate.
Since taking office, Babiš has distanced his administration from support for Ukraine. The ANO campaign focused on domestic issues such as energy prices, pensions, and housing, capitalizing on public concerns that too much money was being diverted to Kyiv.
President Petr Pavel and the opposition, however, remain firm supporters of Ukraine.
Earlier this month, Babiš also survived a no-confidence vote, which was partly tied to the country’s widening budget deficit.
Polling stations are set to close at 2 pm local time, with full results expected on Sunday morning.
