Populist billionaire Andrej Babiš’s ANO party secures victory in Czech parliamentary elections

Populist billionaire Andrej Babiš’s ANO party secured victory in the Czech parliamentary elections, winning nearly 35.5 percent of the vote, with approximately 94 percent of ballots counted. The current ruling Spolu coalition came in second with around 22.5 percent of the vote, while the STAN movement finished third with roughly 11 percent. This win marks a political comeback for Babiš, who served as Prime Minister from 2017 to 2021.
 
 
In the 2021 elections, the Spolu coalition narrowly defeated ANO by less than one percentage point and went on to form a government led by Petr Fiala. The State Election Commission is expected to review the full results on Monday, with the official publication in the Collection of Laws likely on Tuesday.
 
 
Citizens will be able to challenge the results at the Supreme Administrative Court starting Wednesday. Approximately 8 million voters cast their ballots over the two-day election, with 26 parties and groupings competing for seats in the 200-member lower house, four more than in the previous elections in 2021.