Andrej Babis Scores Landslide Victory, Exceeding Expectations

Parliamentary elections in the Czech Republic closed with ANO (Action of Dissatisfied Citizens) achieving a victory that exceeded even the most optimistic forecasts. To analyze the results, the new composition of the Parliament, and the challenges facing Andrej Babis’s future government, Magyar Nemzet asked Agnes Vass, Research Director of the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs.

Andrej Babis, head of ANO and former Prime Minister of Czechia (Photo: AFP)

"Even with ANO being the clear favorite in the run up to Czech elections, their margin of victory is surprising," Agnes Vass, research director at the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs (MKI/HIIA) stated. We asked the expert not only about the results, but also about the expected composition of Parliament and Andrej Babis's possible coalition options.

Babis and his ANO party exceeded expectations (Photo: Anadolu/Lukas Kabon)

“The results are surprising — in a positive sense — since ANO performed even better than expected, currently standing above 30 percent,”

said Vass.

The expert noted that the collapse of the left-wing Stacilo! alliance was also unexpected. “One of the lessons of the 2021 election was that the left virtually disappeared. Despite efforts to revive it in recent years, Czech voters clearly were not convinced,” she said.

According to Vass, Another interesting development is that the SPD underperformed compared to polling, while the Motorists Party (Motoristé) managed to enter Parliament with a solid result.

As things stand, there is effectively no left-wing initiative in the Czech Parliament right now. If all goes as expected, Andrej Babis prefers to govern alone — but whether he can do that depends on whether he secures support from either the Motorists Party or the SPD,

Vass explained.

Babis May Challenge Established Consensus 

Vass warned that coalition talks could bring tense moments, especially concerning the long-standing Czech convention that the foreign minister’s post goes to the junior coalition partner.

“This could become a real sticking point, since both potential partners — especially the SPD — question the need for Czech membership in the EU and NATO and have even called for a referendum on the issue. However, President Petr Pavel has already stated that he will not appoint ministers from parties that reject the country’s EU and NATO orientation. That could become a major fault line,” 

Vass said.

In most other areas, there appears to be a working consensus, according to the expert, who also points out that when it comes to the European Union and the Visegrad Group (V4), Babis is expected to take a much more critical and assertive tone than the outgoing coalition.

“Andrej Babis will likely avoid crossing certain red lines, but we can expect a tougher, more elbows-out approach — not open confrontation, but persistent efforts to push the his narrative and defend national interests,” Vass predicted.

Key areas of contention will include the green transition and migration policy, as well as continued support for Ukraine. Babis will likely question the extent of aid to Ukraine, given that Czech society already feels it has contributed significantly and sees no end in sight to the conflict,

she added.

Other major issues will include strengthening competitiveness, reforming economic policy, and adopting a firmer Czech position in agricultural subsidies and EU budget negotiations.

“With a Babis-led government, we can expect a revitalization of the Visegrad Four (V4) alliance, particularly on issues shared by all three or four members — such as migration, competitiveness, and to some extent the war in Ukraine,” the expert concluded.

Cover photo: Andrej Babis, head of ANO and former Prime Minister of Czechia (Photo: AFP)