Pro-Western opposition parties have won a landslide victory in the Czech Senate elections. Prime Minister Andrej Babis' ANO movement failed to win any of the 27 seats and lost the only seat it was defending.
Candidates directly affiliated with opposition parties won 22 seats. The opposition retained control of the 81-seat upper house of parliament. Babis' coalition partners also lost their elected representatives in the runoffs held on October 16 and 17.
ANO fails to turn first round into victory
The first round was held on October 9 and 10. Then, 13 ANO candidates reached the runoff, while opposition parties and coalitions fielded a total of 26 candidates. Five candidates were elected in the first round, none of whom were from ANO.
This was stated by the Deputy Head of the Czech Statistical Office, Eva Krumpová.
The vote was the first major electoral test for Babis since he returned to the post of prime minister after ANO won the parliamentary elections in October 2025. He governs in a coalition with two smaller parties, whose positions include limiting support for Ukraine and opposing some European Union policies.
What the result means
The result does not change the balance of power in the lower house, but it does strengthen the Senate's role as an institutional counterweight to the government. The upper house is important in passing constitutional changes and approving judges of the Constitutional Court.
The elections also showed the limited ability of ANO to carry its victory from the 2025 parliamentary vote to the Senate. For Babis, the result is his first clear defeat at the national level since his return to power, while the opposition retains control of the upper house.
Sources: apnews.com, euronews.com