A political group headed by Prime Minister Andrej Babiš maintained a lead on Saturday during the Czech Republic’s initial round of voting to fill one-third of the seats in the Senate, the upper house of Parliament. With over 93% of polling stations reporting, the centrist ANO (YES) movement led by the populist billionaire appeared positioned to send 13 candidates into next week’s runoff elections.
Currently, the 81-seat Senate is controlled by pro-Western opposition factions, and ANO is seeking to expand its influence within the chamber. According to preliminary data provided by the Czech Statistics Office, up to six candidates across various parties were on track to secure the 50% threshold required for an outright victory. Notably, none of these candidates represent ANO, meaning 21 seats will likely be determined by runoffs featuring the top two finishers in each respective race.
While the lower house of Parliament remains the primary driver of the legislative process, the Senate retains significant authority regarding the approval of Constitutional Court judges and the passage of constitutional amendments. These elections represent the first major political test for Babiš since he returned to office following a decisive parliamentary victory in October 2025. Babiš currently leads a governing coalition alongside two smaller political groups that advocate for policies such as curbing support for Ukraine and opposing specific European Union initiatives.
Separately, local elections held concurrently showed independent candidates and groupings securing the majority of seats nationwide, following a traditional trend. While ANO demonstrated strength by heading toward victory in several regional capitals, the movement did not secure a lead in Prague.
