Populist Czech PM's Party Leads in Senate Election First Round

The centrist ANO (YES) movement, led by populist billionaire Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, is leading in the first round of the Czech Republic’s Senate elections. The party has the most candidates, 13, expected to advance to next week’s runoffs.

With votes from over 93% of polling stations counted, preliminary results indicate that ANO could potentially make gains in the 81-seat Senate, which is currently controlled by pro-Western opposition parties. A total of 27 Senate seats are available in this election cycle. According to the Czech Statistics Office, up to six candidates could secure their seats outright by crossing the 50% threshold, but none of them are from the ANO movement. The remaining 21 seats will be decided in runoffs between the top two finishers in each contest.

While the lower house of Parliament handles the majority of legislative work, the Senate plays a significant role in passing constitutional amendments and approving candidates for the Constitutional Court.

These elections represent the first electoral test for Babiš since his return to power following a decisive victory in parliamentary elections in October 2025. He currently leads a governing coalition with two smaller political groups, whose platform includes reducing support for Ukraine and opposing certain European Union policies. In separate local elections held concurrently, independent candidates and groupings appear to be winning the majority of seats nationwide, a common outcome in such contests. ANO is projected to win in some regional capitals, though not in Prague.