Czechs vote in Senate and local elections in first test for populist PM Babiš

PRAGUE (AP) — Czechs went to the polls on Friday at the start of two days of voting to fill one-third of the seats in Parliament’s upper house, the Senate, and elect local representatives.

The elections are the first test for populist billionaire Andrej Babiš since he returned to power after a decisive victory in parliamentary elections in October 2025.

His centrist ANO (YES) movement hopes to make gains in the 81-seat Senate, which is controlled by pro-Western opposition parties. Twenty-seven Senate seats are up for grabs in the two-round election, with runoffs scheduled for next week. First-round results are expected on Saturday.

Babiš has formed a governing coalition with two small political groups whose agenda includes reducing support for Ukraine and rejecting some key European Union policies.

Unlike the government, the opposition and President Petr Pavel remain firm supporters of Ukraine following Russia’s invasion.

Parliament’s lower house dominates the legislative process, but the Senate plays an important role in passing constitutional amendments and approving Constitutional Court judges.

In local elections, independent candidates and groups traditionally win the most seats nationwide.