Imploded democracy in the making: The gloomy outcome of the Czech Republic's general elections

[Celerity]

On the 2nd and 3rd of October 2025, two-thirds of Czech citizens went to the polling stations to elect the 200 members of the Chamber of Deputies. And despite the narratives, there was no winner at the end of the race. Andrej Babiš, the leader of ANO and typically described in the European press as a 'billionaire populist', claimed to have achieved a historic victory as his party, ANO, rose from 72 to 80 MPs. This, however, is not enough to form a single-party government, which he was aiming for. He will now have to seek support elsewhere and is eyeing a partnership with AUTO ('motorists for themselves'), a new right-wing, anti-environmentalist party that won 13 votes. That is still insufficient, and he may also need the far-right SPD, which leans towards the Kremlin, is anti-NATO and in favour of a 'Czexit'.

The question of how far the fragmented populist and hard right will reach a certain modus operandi is one of the many open questions. To add to this unsettling record, one needs to note that the main rival of the ANO was yet another right-wing alliance – SPOLU – which consists, among others, of Petr Fiala, from the ODS. While they decreased from 71 to 52 seats, the electoral map of the Czech Republic, now, is undeniably blue and dark blue, reconfirming a consolidation of a shift to the right of the entire party system. That is especially true, as for the second time, there will be no centre left in the Chamber. CSSD reformed into SocDem had entered a new alliance with Stracilo!, which was questioned by many and fell short of winning voters' trust. A defining factor in the Czech electoral system is that it favours larger parties and incentivises strategic voting. The centre-left implosion, which SocDem tried to avoid, is a cautionary tale – especially seen that the issues dominating the campaign – the quality of live, the cost-of-living crisis, respect and Czechia's place in the EU – should have been grist to their political mill.



https://feps-europe.eu/czech-vote-gives-eurosceptic-and-populist-parties-a-boost-not-a-real-mandate/

https://feps-europe.eu/czechia-lacks-offers-and-space-for-left-wing-politics/

https://feps-europe.eu/a-vacant-space-on-the-left-the-czech-elections-and-the-deepening-sovereigntist-turn-in-central-europe/

[bucolic_frolic]

1. I begin to think political ideas go underground rather than going away

The Czech Revolution of 1968 was 57 years ago so most have forgotten.