Czechs vote in elections that could usher in populist billionaire

Self-described ‘Trumpist’ Andrej Babis has campaigned connected pledges of payment and halting subject assistance to Ukraine.

Czechs are casting their ballots successful a two-day wide election, successful which the enactment of populist billionaire Andrej Babis is expected to garner the astir votes but not unafraid a majority, raising concerns that Ukraine state the Czech Republic whitethorn gully person to pro-Russian European Union countries Hungary and Slovakia.

Polling stations opened astatine 12:00 GMT and volition adjacent astatine 20:00 GMT connected Friday, earlier reopening from 06:00 to 12:00 GMT connected Saturday, with the results expected connected Saturday evening.

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Even if Babis’s ANO (Yes) enactment tops the vote, it volition astir surely person to negociate a coalition. Analysts accidental the apt contender is the far-right absorption SPD movement, which is backed by astir 12 percent of voters.

Babis, 71, has campaigned successful the EU and NATO subordinate of astir 11 cardinal radical connected pledges of payment and halting subject assistance to Ukraine.

The existent centre-right conjugation authorities of Prime Minister Petr Fiala, 61, has provided extensive humanitarian and subject assistance to Ukraine, but galore voters blasted it for ignoring problems astatine home.

“A alteration is necessary. The Czech Republic indispensable beryllium much autonomous, it indispensable not beryllium conscionable a messenger lad for Brussels,” 68-year-old geographer Jaroslav Kolar told the AFP quality agency.

But doc Anna Stefanova, 41, told AFP she was acrophobic of a “sway towards Russia”.

Chairman of the absorption ANO (Yes) question Andrej Babis speaks to the media aft casting his ballot successful the wide predetermination astatine a polling presumption successful Ostrava, Czech Republic, connected October 3, 2025 [Petr David Josek/AP]

Babis was captious of immoderate EU policies portion helium was premier curate from 2017 to 2021, and is connected bully presumption with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Slovakia’s Robert Fico, who person maintained beardown ties with Moscow contempt its February 2022 penetration of Ukraine.

However, Babis has rejected immoderate steps towards exiting the EU oregon NATO, including calls for referendums, countering accusations by the existent authorities that helium would resistance the state disconnected its antiauthoritarian pro-Western course.

ANO tops sentiment polls, suggesting enactment exceeding 30 percent, up of Fiala’s Together grouping with astir 20 percent.

Describing himself arsenic a “peacemonger” calling for a truce successful Ukraine, Babis has promised a “Czechs first” attack – echoing United States President Donald Trump – and pledged “a amended life” for each Czechs.

In 2024, Babis cofounded the far-right Patriots for Europe radical successful the European Parliament, which besides includes France’s National Rally among different parties.

Fiala said connected X that voters would determine “whether we volition proceed connected the way of freedom, high-quality democracy, information and prosperity, oregon whether we volition spell east”.

Some concerns astir Russian propaganda being dispersed online implicit the people of the predetermination play person emerged, though analysts accidental they cannot spot a large displacement successful elector sentiment truthful far.

A radical of analysts said past week that Czech TikTok accounts reaching millions of viewers “systematically dispersed pro-Russian propaganda and enactment anti-system parties done manipulated engagement”.

Last week, Moldova’s pro-Western governing party decisively won a parliamentary predetermination plagued by claims of Russian interference and was wide seen arsenic a definitive prime betwixt staying successful Europe’s orbit oregon lurching into Moscow’s.

Both Babis and Fiala person besides seen scandals tarnish their reputations.

Fiala’s authorities is nether occurrence implicit the justness ministry’s determination to judge $44m successful bitcoins from a convicted criminal.

Babis, Slovak-born and the seventh-wealthiest Czech according to Forbes magazine, is owed to basal proceedings for EU subsidy fraud worthy much than $2m.

He has rejected each allegations of wrongdoing arsenic “a smear campaign”.