The right-wing party of agriculture billionaire Andrej Babis, branded the “Czech Trump” by local media, has taken the lead in the Czech Republic’s parliamentary election.
Partial results released by the Czech Statistical Office several hours after polls closed on Saturday showed Babis’ opposition ANO (Yes) party ahead with 39.7% of the vote, with ballots from 20% of voting districts counted.
Prime Minister Petr Fiala’s Spolu (Together) group trailed in second place with 19.1%.
Babis, 71, who previously served as prime minister between 2017 and 2021, has campaigned on a promise to halt Czech military assistance to Kiev. This stands in stark contrast to Fiala, who has been a vocal supporter of Ukraine in its conflict with Russia.
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The former premier has sharply criticised Prague’s ammunition initiative for Kiev, calling it “overpriced” and insisting that such efforts should be managed by NATO.
He has also spoken out against Ukraine’s membership in the European Union, while attacking Brussels’ handling of immigration and the Green Deal.
Western media outlets have warned that Babis’ return to power could shift Central Europe further away from Brussels on Ukraine and other major issues.
With Hungary and Slovakia already refusing to provide military aid to Kiev and pushing for a diplomatic resolution to the war, a Babis victory may realign the region’s stance even more.
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