Czech Republic Elects Right-Wing: Populist Babis Aims for Minority Government

In a significant shift in Czech politics, the recent parliamentary elections have resulted in a victory for the right-wing populist Andrej Babis, a billionaire and former Prime Minister. Following his party's success, Babis is now seeking to establish a minority government led by his ANO party. On the night of the election in Prague, he expressed his intention to form a government that operates independently.

Babis, who is 71 years old, aims to negotiate support from two smaller parties--the Motorists and the Freedom and Direct Democracy party, led by Tomio Okamura. These discussions are pivotal as Babis requires their tolerance to govern effectively.

The ANO movement emerged as the strongest party in the recent elections, securing 34.6% of the votes, which marks an increase of nearly 7.5 percentage points compared to the previous elections in 2021. This win translates to 80 seats in the 200-seat Chamber of Deputies. In stark contrast, the center-right coalition Spolu, led by Prime Minister Petr Fiala, saw a decline, obtaining only 23.3% of the votes, down from 27.8% in 2021. Meanwhile, the governing Mayors' party garnered 11.2% of the vote.

President Petr Pavel has initiated consultations with party leaders regarding the formation of a new government, with Babis being the first to meet with him at Prague Castle. Throughout his campaign, Babis made several promises, including halting arms shipments to Ukraine, reducing taxes, and lowering energy prices. He has also expressed opposition to the EU's asylum and migration pact and the Green Deal.

Internationally, the ANO party has shifted its alliances from the liberal Renew Europe group to the more right-wing Patriotic group within the European Parliament, aligning itself with parties like Hungary's Fidesz and Austria's FPÖ. In response to Babis's victory, Viktor Orban, Hungary's Prime Minister, praised the outcome as a "great step" for the Czech Republic, while Slovakia's pro-Russian leader Robert Fico congratulated Babis by phone.

However, it remains uncertain what concessions Babis will need to make to secure the support of his potential coalition partners. The Freedom and Direct Democracy party is demanding the possibility of holding a referendum on leaving the EU and NATO, which Babis opposes, as well as the repatriation of over 383,000 Ukrainian refugees. This party received around 7.8% of the votes, while the Motorists party, which advocates for a reversal on the ban of combustion engines by 2035, obtained 6.8%.