Opposition Gains Momentum in Czech Regional Elections

The opposition party ANO led by former Prime Minister Andrej Babis won 10 out of 13 regions in Czech regional elections and led in the first round of voting for Parliament's upper house. This strong performance boosts ANO's prospects for next year's general election.

The main opposition party dominated Czech regional elections and was ahead in the first round of voting for Parliament's upper house, according to results released on Saturday.

With almost all votes counted, the ANO (YES) movement, led by former populist Prime Minister Andrej Babis, won 10 of the 13 regions contested in the election on Friday and Saturday, the Czech Statistics Office said.

The result reflected stable support for ANO, which won 10 regions in 2020 and nine in 2016, signaling a boost for Babis ahead of next year's general election. ANO has the most candidates advancing to the runoffs for 27 seats in the 81-seat Senate, with 19 candidates moving forward.

(With inputs from agencies.)