Billionaire Victorious in Czech Election, Forecasts a Populist Wave
The recent parliamentary election in the Czech Republic saw a landslide victory for billionaire Andrej Babis and his ANO party. This win paves the way for a potential government inclined towards populism and anti-immigration policies, and might diminish support for Ukraine.
Despite not having an outright majority, an enthusiastic Babis assured his followers that his party would strive to form a single-party cabinet. He indicated potential negotiations with two smaller parties for backing, including the far-right SPD party.
However, Babis was vehement in dismissing claims that his victory would make the central European nation a less dependable ally to the European Union and NATO.
Who Will Babis Collaborate With?
Babis expressed a deep desire to guard Europe, asserting his and his party's pro-European and pro-NATO stance. ANO is predicted to succeed the existing center-right cabinet led by Prime Minister Petr Fiala, who gracefully accepted his defeat and congratulated Babis.
During the campaign, ANO made several pledges, including higher wages and pensions, faster growth, and tax cuts for students and young families. These commitments, despite costing billions and challenging the nation's economical mindset, resonated with many Czech citizens who have experienced a recent decline in their real incomes due to rising inflation.
Hurdles Ahead for Babis
However, Babis faces multiple challenges before he can officially take up the prime minister's role. These include conflict-of-interest laws due to his ownership of a food and chemicals corporation, and long-standing allegations of fraud linked to obtaining an EU subsidy over a decade ago - charges he strongly denies.
According to the Statistical Office, with nearly all voting districts tallied, ANO was leading with 34.7%, followed by Spolu with 23.2%. The nation's president, Petr Pavel, who will appoint the next prime minister, was set to commence negotiations with party leaders shortly.
ANO is projected to secure around 80 seats in the 200-seat lower house, necessitating the need for additional support. Babis indicated he would initiate discussions with the Motorists, an anti-EU and anti-NATO party that opposes the EU’s Green policies, and the SPD.
‘Strong Czechia’ Campaign
Babis, a supporter of US President Donald Trump and an ally of Hungarian leader Viktor Orban, has previously aligned with several far-right parties in the Patriots for Europe group in the European Parliament to challenge mainstream European policies, including decarbonisation.
Despite pressure from the SPD, Babis has refused to hold a referendum on leaving the EU and NATO. However, he has indicated he would terminate the “Czech initiative” that has facilitated the purchase of millions of artillery rounds for Ukraine with funding from Western donors.
ANO's stance is that aid for Ukraine should be managed by NATO and the EU. The party has abstained in some European Parliament votes supporting Kyiv and its bid for EU membership, which Babis has previously opposed.
The election results show that pro-Russian parties, such as SPD and the far-left Stacilo!, built around the Communist Party, performed below expectations, with SPD securing 7.8% and Stacilo! falling short of the 5% threshold required to enter parliament.