Czech Republic: Babiš set to make a comeback?
Ano, the main Czech opposition party led by former prime minister Andrej Babiš, has secured a major victory in regional elections. It won 10 out of 13 constituencies and is now on track to replace Petr Fiala's liberal-conservative government in the 2025 parliamentary elections. At the EU level, Ano forms part of a new far-right alliance with Hungary's Fidesz and Austria's FPÖ.
Destructive tactics worked
Hospodářské noviny comments:
“Ano won over 35 percent of the vote. This represents an incredible increase of 15 percentage points compared to the the regional elections four years ago and the best result of all the elections in which Babiš has taken part. ... The chosen tactic, a frontal attack on the government 24 hours a day, seven days a week, worked brilliantly. It was enough for him to keep repeating that the government was doing everything wrong in domestic and foreign policy. ... It's hard to say what would have to happen for Babiš [together with the far left and right] not to win a comfortable majority in the parliamentary elections one year from now.”
Government dogged by inflation
Seznam Zprávy highlights a key reason for the governing coalition's defeat:
“The financial situation of our families has worsened over the past twelve months, around half of the Czechs responded in a survey, compared to just one in seven who said it had improved. This deficit - caused by high inflation under Petr Fiala's coalition government - was apparently the main motive for voter decisions in the regional elections. Ano's populist slogan 'We'll give you back what the Fiala government took away' has played a major role here. This may also explain the widespread shift in preferences which was apparent in almost every region.”