On 3 and 4 October, Czechs will head to the polls to elect 200 members of parliament for a four-year term, from which a new government will be formed. The parliamentary election is the most important national election, as the Czech Republic is a parliamentary democracy in which executive power is primarily held by the prime minister and their governing party or coalition.
This year’s election promises to be especially interesting for several reasons. A record number of parties are predicted to enter parliament, and the current governing parties are widely expected to lose, with the opposition poised to take power. Here, we take a look at the main parties and coalitions, their leading candidates, and the policy platforms they hope will persuade voters to support them at the ballot box.
Spolu
Spolu (Together) is a coalition of three parties that won the last parliamentary election in 2021, securing 27.79% of the vote. This coalition consists of the Civic Democratic Party (ODS), TOP 09, and the Christian Democrats (KDU-ČSL). The most prominent figure in the coalition is current Prime Minister Petr Fiala, leader of ODS and a professor of political science at Masaryk University in Brno. Back in 2021, voters had mainly appreciated his calm and composed demeanour, which stood in sharp contrast to former Prime Minister Andrej Babiš. Besides Fiala, other key figures in Spolu include Markéta Pekarová Adamová, leader of TOP 09 and Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies; Marek Výborný, Minister of Agriculture and leader of KDU-ČSL; and Marian Jurečka, Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, also from KDU-ČSL.
Spolu is a centre-right coalition and forms the basis of one of the two dominant blocs in Czech politics, the other being formed around ANO. The coalition was established in 2020 with the goal of uniting opposition forces to challenge Babiš and ANO, a strategy that succeeded in the 2021 election. After the vote, Spolu formed a governing coalition with the Mayors and Independents (STAN) and the Pirate Party, securing a majority with 108 out of 200 seats in parliament.
Although Spolu has not yet published a detailed political programme for the upcoming election, they are expected to continue the policies they have pursued since 2021. One of their main campaign promises was to improve fiscal responsibility and reduce the state budget deficit, which stood at around CZK 420 billion in 2021 and CZK 367 billion CZK in 2020. Under Fiala’s government, the deficit was somewhat reduced to CZK 288 billion in 2023, and is projected to be CZK 271 billion in 2024.
Another major issue addressed by the government was pension reform. Under Jurečka, the coalition introduced changes that will gradually increase the retirement age to 67 and implement several other adjustments.
In foreign policy, the Czech Republic under the current government has been one of the strongest supporters of Ukraine, sending military aid such as tanks, rocket launchers and ammunition, and also receiving around half a million Ukrainian refugees.
The drop in support for Spolu since 2021 (from over 27% to 20-21% in current polling) is likely due to a combination of factors, including unfulfilled promises such as the balancing of the budget, receding public frustration with the previous Babiš government, and recent controversies like the Bitcoin case.
STAN
The Mayors and Independents (STAN) are a centrist liberal political movement founded in 2004. In the 2021 elections, the movement ran in a liberal coalition with the Pirate party, securing 15.6% of the vote, and subsequently formed a governing coalition with Spolu.
The current leader of STAN is Vít Rakušan, who also serves as Minister of the Interior. The party also controls the Ministry of Industry and Trade, led by Lukáš Vlček, and the Ministry of Education, headed by Mikuláš Bek, former Rector of Masaryk University. STAN´s political priorities include long-term sustainable public finances, investing in the technological advancement of Czech industry, and promoting cooperation between municipalities.
In foreign policy, STAN takes a pro-European stance, including strong backing for Ukraine, strengthening of European defence against external threats, and upholding international law. The party also advocates for increased defense spending.
In this year’s election, STAN will run independently, as the Pirate Party has decided to run on its own. According to the latest polls, STAN is polling at around 11%, drawing most of its support from younger, liberal-leaning voters with higher education.
Piráti
The Pirate Party (Piráti) is a centre-left liberal party that primarily appeals to younger voters. Founded in 2009, the party emerged as part of a broader European movement advocating for internet freedom. Piráti ran alongside STAN in the last election, but won only 4 seats in parliament, as most voters gave preference to STAN candidates through preferential voting. In this election, the Pirate Party’s candidate list will also include several members of the Czech Green Party (Zelení), in eight out of thirteen regions.
The party remained part of the governing coalition until early October 2024, when it left following Fiala’s decision to dismiss Ivan Bartoš, the leader of the Pirates and Minister for Regional Development. Since then, the Pirates have been in opposition, though they have not ruled out future cooperation with Spolu or STAN after the election.
The most recognisable figure in the party since its founding has been Ivan Bartoš, a co-founder and long-serving leader until 2024. He was succeeded as leader by Zdeněk Hřib, former Mayor of Prague.
The Pirates’ key political priorities include support for families through tax reductions, promoting affordable housing by building up to 200,000 new homes, fighting corruption, modernising the state, and upholding internet freedom. In terms of foreign policy, they advocate strengthening national and European defence, supporting Ukraine, and increasing defence spending.
Current polling puts the Pirates at around 6-8%, with their core support coming from young, educated voters.
ANO
ANO (Yes) is an ideologically flexible “catch-all” movement founded in 2011 by billionaire Andrej Babiš, the seventh-richest Czech. ANO is currently the main opposition party to the Spolu-led government. Although it was ousted from power after the 2021 elections, it remained the strongest individual party, holding 71 seats in the Chamber of Deputies.
The most important figure in the party is its founder and leader, Andrej Babiš, one of the most controversial politicians in the Czech Republic. Babiš has faced criminal prosecution for the alleged fraudulent misuse of EU subsidies related to the Čapí hnízdo farm. He also formerly owned one of the country’s largest media companies, Mafra, reportedly to ensure that the media would “tell the truth about him”. Under his leadership, ANO has often been described as a “one-man movement”, due to its high degree of centralization and Babiš’s tight control of the party. Nevertheless, the movement includes other prominent figures, such as former Finance Minister Alena Schillerová, who leads the party’s candidate list in South Moravia, and former Transport Minister Karel Havlíček.
ANO has not yet published its official policy platform for the upcoming election, but is expected to do so in early September. However, Babiš has already announced several priorities he would pursue as a potential future prime minister, including the repeal of Fiala’s pension reform, tax cuts, and halting the planned increase in defence spending. In foreign policy, Spolu has accused ANO of wanting to “drag the Czech Republic further East”, pointing to ANO’s criticism of Czech military aid to Ukraine and Babiš’s self-professed friendship with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
Currently polling at around 32%, ANO remains the most popular party in the country. Its support base consists primarily of pensioners and voters with lower levels of education.
SPD
Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) is an anti-EU and anti-immigration nationalist movement founded by Tomio Okamura in 2015. In the last parliamentary election in 2021, it won 20 seats, securing 9.5% of the vote. In the upcoming election, SPD will include candidates from three other parties on its candidate lists, uniting what it calls the “patriotic forces”. The most recognizable figure is its founder and leader, Tomio Okamura.
- Read more about Tomio Okamura in our previous article.
The party has not yet published a full policy program. However, its stated key priorities are the security, sovereignty and prosperity of the Czech Republic. SPD advocates for a system of direct democracy and the ability to recall elected officials. It also promotes limiting government borrowing and supporting families and small businesses.
In foreign policy, SPD strongly opposes what it calls “dictates from Brussels”, and seeks to end Czech military aid to Ukraine. It also supports holding referendums on Czech membership of the EU and NATO.
Current polling places SPD between 11-14%. Its main support base consists of middle-aged and older voters, particularly those with lower levels of formal education.
Stačilo!
Stačilo! (Enough!) is an unofficial far-left coalition composed of four parties, the most prominent being the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (KSČM) and Social Democracy (SOCDEM), formerly known as the Czech Social Democratic Party. This anti-establishment movement was initiated by the Communists in October of last year, with SOCDEM joining just a few weeks ago. Neither the Communists nor SOCDEM managed to enter parliament in the 2021 elections.
The main face of the movement is Communist party leader and Member of the European Parliament, Kateřina Konečná. Another influential figure is Daniel Sterzik, chairman of the Stačilo movement and an internet blogger under the nickname Vidlák (The Redneck), who is leading the coalition’s list in the South Moravian region. Jana Maláčová, the SOCDEM leader, is heading the alliance’s candidate list in Prague.
Stačilo! is promoting left-wing political priorities, including higher taxes on banks and large corporations, full nationalization of ČEZ (the largest Czech energy company), and an increase in the minimum wage. The movement also wants to abolish the Senate (the upper chamber of the bicameral Czech parliament), ban political NGOs from operating in schools, and hold referendums on EU and NATO membership.
In Foreign policy, the movement calls for neutrality and the immediate end of military aid to Ukraine.
Stačilo! is currently polling at around 5-7%, and draws its primary support from low-income pensioners with lower levels of education.
The Motorists
The Motorists (Motoristé) are a right-wing conservative party founded in 2017. The party did not participate in the 2021 parliamentary elections but gained national attention following its unexpected success in the 2024 European parliamentary elections. Running in coalition with the smaller party Přísaha (“The Oath”), it took over 10% of the vote and won two seats in the European Parliament.
The party is heavily centred around its leading figure, Filip Turek, who headed the European election campaign and was elected as one of the two MEPs. He is a prominent but controversial figure. One major controversy involves his alleged admission of domestic violence against his former partner, based on leaked email correspondence published by journalist Apolena Rychlíková. He has also faced public criticism for extreme speeding on the Czech highway.
The Motorists promote several right-wing policy goals, including the consolidation of public finances and support for small businesses, while it has also become known for ardent opposition to green measures and the move away from fossil fuels. In foreign policy, the party supports reforming, rather than leaving, the European Union and argues for improved relations with Slovakia, Hungary, and the United States.
The party is polling on the verge of entering Parliament, at around 4-5%, with its core support coming primarily from younger male voters.
Clash of two political blocs
Although there is still some time until the elections, the outcome is likely to follow one of two main scenarios.
The more probable scenario, according to the latest polls, is a victory for the opposition, led by ANO. Babiš has expressed his preference for a single-party government composed solely of ANO ministers. However, current polling suggests that ANO may not have sufficient support to govern alone. A more realistic outcome would be a coalition of ANO and other opposition parties or movements, such as SPD, Stačilo, or the Motorists.
The less likely scenario involves an unexpectedly strong performance by the current governing parties. Spolu and STAN have already expressed a desire to continue their coalition, and the Pirates have not ruled out future cooperation with the governing parties after the elections. Nevertheless, according to recent polling, this outcome appears increasingly unlikely.
However, with over two months to go until the elections, there is a lot of scope for things to change, even dramatically. Furthermore, the final composition of the government will depend to a significant degree on which smaller parties are able to reach the all-important 5% threshold for representation in parliament, as this will determine the possible coalition options, and who holds the balance of power. In the event of a deadlock, it has even been speculated that ANO and ODS could form a governing coalition. While this might seem unlikely, given that the two parties have spent the last four years painting each other as the devil, it would not be the first such unnatural marriage of convenience in Czech political memory.
