Czech voters will go to the polls tomorrow and Saturday to decide whether the current governing coalition will remain in power or whether ANO leader and former PM Andrej Babis will return to government, as elections are held for the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of parliament.
In the Americas, overseas voting is starting today.
The outgoing government consists of the Spolu coalition of the Civic Democrats (ODS), Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL) and TOP 09, and the Mayors and Independents (STAN), after the Pirates left the government a year ago.
Around eight million eligible voters can choose between 26 candidate lists this year, four more than in the previous elections in 2021. Seven of them have a realistic chance of winning representation in the lower house. There are 4,463 candidates running in the elections, roughly 22 for each seat.
Turnout could also influence which parties are successful. Four years ago turnout was over 65%, while eight years ago it was 61%.
The elections are the most important test of voters’ satisfaction with the performance of the current seven parliamentary parties during this term, which was marked by the tail-end of the Covid pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and how many of them decide to support extra-parliamentary groups.
This could bring the number of parliamentary groups back to at least nine, as it was after the parliamentary elections held eight years ago. The Communists (KSCM) and the Social Democrats (SOCDEM) have a chance of returning to parliament after four years, running together on the Stacilo! list, and the Motorists party is another potential newcomer.
ANO has long been considered the election favourite, helped by the rise in inflation and the impact of rising energy prices. ANO has said it would prefer to form a one-party government supported by other opposition groups, which may include the far-right Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD), Stacilo! and the Motorists.
Babis has ruled out post-election negotiations with the current ruling parties. His previous government was a coalition with the Social Democrats that did not command a majority in the Chamber of Deputies, so relied on the votes of the Communists.
Spolu, STAN, and the opposition Pirates hope to retain a majority in the lower house. They are warning that the possibility of ANO working with anti-system groups such as SPD and Stacilo!, who are demanding withdrawal from NATO and the EU, could change the country’s pro-Western orientation and bring it closer to the situation in Slovakia or Hungary.
ANO is defending 72 seats in the 200-seat lower house, and the Spolu coalition has 71 (of which the Civic Democrats have 34, the Christian Democrats 23 and TOP 09 14). The Mayors are defending 33 seats, SPD 20, and the Pirates four.
In the previous election period (2017-2021), ANO had 78 MPs, ODS 25, Pirates 22, SPD 19, the Social Democrats and Communists 15 each, KDU-CSL ten and TOP 09 seven seats.
The country’s nearly 14,800 polling stations will open on Friday and Saturday, as will most of the 108 polling stations abroad. In the Americas, voting will take place today and on Friday due to the time difference. Czechs living overseas can use postal voting for the first time this year.
The election results will be gradually published on the election website on Saturday after the polling stations close. The results from most polling stations could be known by 6pm on Saturday, based on the experience of the previous elections.
