After his ANO movement secured victory in the Czech parliamentary elections, Andrej Babiš described the result as the highlight of his political life. Speaking on Saturday evening, he thanked voters who turned out across the country and promised that his party would focus on improving life in the Czech Republic. “We want our country to be the best place to live in the European Union. We will do everything we can to achieve that—believe me,” Babiš told supporters. “We are incredibly happy and grateful to everyone who voted. That’s what democracy is about—people deciding freely.” Babiš called the election campaign “a ride,” adding that the victory marked a “historic success” for the ANO movement. He thanked his campaign and PR teams for their work and assured his voters: “We will never betray you. You can count on us to deliver on our promises.” Looking ahead, Babiš said he plans to begin coalition talks with the SPD and the Motorists party, aiming to form a single-party-led government under ANO. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Petr Fiala, head of the SPOLU coalition (Civic Democrats, TOP 09, and Christian Democrats), reacted to the result by acknowledging defeat. “The outcome is clear and must be accepted...
Andrej Babiš looks on course to become the Czech prime minister again as votes are counted following the country’s general election on Friday and Saturday. Partial results released on Saturday afternoon put Babiš’s ANO party on 37% ahead of the Spolu governing coalition on 21.5% with ballots in almost 75% of the voting precincts counted. The full result is expected to be known on Sunday. The election has been cast as choice between East and West for Czech voters. It comes against a backdrop of a turbulent security situation in Europe, fears of Russian interference and intense speculation over the Czech Republic’s foreign policy orientation if ANO secures victory. ANO and Babiš, who was prime minister between 2017-2021, will probably replace Petr Fiala’s pro-Western Spolu center-right coalition government, which has been an ardent and active supporter of Ukraine. Babiš has expressed a more dovish stance on the Ukraine war, calling, for example, an end to an international scheme spearheaded by the Czech government that has supplied around 1.5 million artillery shells to Ukraine. He has, however, rejected suggestions by Fiala that he intends to move the Czech Republic towards Russia and away from the West and membership of the EU...
The Czech Republic holds a parliamentary election on October 3 and 4, with the opposition ANO party of former Prime Minister Andrej Babis leading opinion polls ahead of the main centre-right ruling parties. An ANO-led government would probably clash with the European Union on climate policies and migration, tone down support for Ukraine, and ally more often with Hungary’s government led by Viktor Orban. The cost of living, energy prices and the country’s anchoring in the EU and military alliance NATO are the main campaign issues. WHAT DO CZECHS VOTE ON? Czechs elect 200 deputies for a four-year term in the lower house of parliament, under a proportional voting system. Parties must obtain at least 5% of votes to win seats. WHEN DOES VOTING TAKE PLACE? Polls are open 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. on October 3 and 8 a.m. to 2. p.m. on October 4. Nearly complete results are expected later in the afternoon of October 4. WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? No party is expected to win a majority. The largest party will likely lead talks to form a coalition or secure support for a minority cabinet. The president then appoints the prime minister, usually from the party with a...
Czech authorities have identified and opened an investigation into a network of nearly 300 bot accounts on TikTok that are amplifying pro-Russian narratives and campaigning for anti-system parties – chiefly SPD, Stačilo! and PRO, Deník N reported, citing government sources. According to the Center for the Study of Online Risks, several “content creators” sit at the core of the network, with videos drawing up to 250,000 views. Around them, hundreds of accounts automatically liked and reposted content to trick TikTok’s algorithm into deeming the clips “popular” and pushing them to real users. The coordinated campaign’s total reach is estimated at 800,000 to 1.3 million views. The accounts posted videos against the EU and NATO, as well as clips featuring politicians from Stačilo! (“Enough!” – a left-wing coalition led by the Communists), SPD (“Freedom and Direct Democracy” – a far-right party) and PRO (“Right, Respect, Professionalism” – a right-populist movement). Among those featured: Stačilo! leader Kateřina Konečná, former foreign minister Lubomír Zaorálek, SPD figures Radim Fiala, Tomio Okamura and economist Miroslav Ševčík, and PRO leader Jindřich Rajchl. The fast-rising popularity of videos by former politician Miroslav Sládek, who is running with the alliance Česká republika na 1. místě! (“Czech Republic First!”),...
Canada, Australia, and Portugal have joined the United Kingdom in formally recognising Palestinian statehood as Israel plans to expand settlements in the occupied West Bank and intensifies its war on Gaza. In a statement on Sunday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the recognition of a Palestinian state and offered “our partnership in building the promise of a peaceful future for both the State of Palestine and the State of Israel”. “Recognising the State of Palestine, led by the Palestinian Authority, empowers those who seek peaceful coexistence and the end of Hamas. This in no way legitimises terrorism, nor is it any reward for it,” Carney said. He added that the Palestinian Authority provided “direct commitments” to Canada on reforming its governance; holding general elections next year, which Hamas “can play no part” in; and demilitarising the Palestinian state. At the same time, Australia announced that it was also recognising Palestinian statehood. In a statement by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Australia said its recognition alongside Canada’s and the UK’s was part of an international effort for a two-state solution. The Czech Republic Does Not Plan to Do So Now The Czech Republic does not plan to recognize the State of...
The Czech Republic has delivered over a million artillery shells to Ukraine, but the populist ANO party criticizes this initiative. Its leader, Andrej Babiš, promises to stop supplies if he comes to power, considering the costs too high for taxpayers. Babiš stated that the money should be spent “on our own people.” In an interview with Reuters, he called the initiative “rotten” and said it would be stopped if his party returned to power. “According to the information we have, it’s about an inadequate profit margin, low quality, and questionable suppliers. For these reasons, this issue should be dealt with at the NATO level,” said ANO deputy chairman Karel Havlíček to POLITICO. The Czech government, led by Prime Minister Petr Fiala, has defended the ammunition supply initiative. “Any halt to the initiative would be a real gift to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin. Those who talk about it risk Europe’s security,” Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský warned last month at a meeting with Czech ambassadors. Prague launched the ammunition supply program in 2024 in response to US delays in supplying shells to Ukraine. Due to a shortage of weapons, Kyiv experienced a critical lack of arms at a time when Russia was...
The Czech Republic has ended its reliance on Russian oil and gas, turning instead to Norway and other global suppliers. Over the last three years, Norway has become the primary source of natural gas for the country and, more recently, has overtaken Russia in oil supplies. According to the Czech Statistical Office, Norway is now the second-largest oil supplier to Czech refineries after Azerbaijan. Russian oil imports stopped entirely in March, following stricter EU sanctions that blocked Orlen Unipetrol, the owner of Czech refineries, from making payments to Russian suppliers. While the smaller refinery in Kralupy nad Vltavou continues to process lighter crude from the Caspian region, the larger Litvínov refinery switched to a combination of Norwegian and Saudi Arabian oil. In July, Czechia imported 606,000 tons of oil, with Azerbaijan providing 250,000 tons and Norway supplying 220,000 tons. Kazakhstan and Saudi Arabia accounted for the remainder. Norwegian imports have steadily increased since April, when Orlen Unipetrol received its first shipment of Norwegian oil via the Trieste, Italy pipeline. The shift to Norway is supported by the Polish parent company, Orlen, which has developed its own production in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea while also purchasing from other...
Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský commented on the recent incident involving a Russian drone that violated Romania’s airspace. Writing on X, Lipavský stressed that he does not believe the drone ended up in Romania’s airspace by accident: “Russia continues to provoke. Last night it was Romania. I don’t believe in Russia’s ‘mistakes.’ As NATO allies, we remain vigilant.” According to him, Russia must pay a tangible price for its provocations against NATO. “That is why the Czech Republic supports further sanctions,” Lipavský concluded. On Saturday, Romanian authorities issued a RO-Alert for the northern part of Tulcea County, warning residents about the possible fall of objects from airspace. In its statement, the ministry said a Geran drone used by Russia had entered Romanian airspace. It added that the drone “orbited for about 50 minutes, from north-east of [the village of] Chilia Veche to south-west of Izmail, and left national airspace near the town of Pardina, heading towards Ukraine”. Poland had already denounced the intrusion of Russian drones into its airspace last week, calling on Moscow to avoid further “provocations”. Polish fighter jets scrambled on Saturday in response to fresh Russian drone strikes just over the border in Ukraine. Romania, a Nato...
The Czech Republic is facing a historic labor crisis. Each year, the country may face a shortfall of 70,000 workers, as retiring generations outnumber those entering the workforce. According to Jaroslava Rezlerová, CEO of ManpowerGroup Czechia, about 120,000 people retire every year—but only 90,000 young workers replace them. The gap of 30,000 is forecast to more than double within a decade, leading to an aggregate annual loss of up to 70,000 workers. The Czech Statistical Office reports that the share of people aged 15 to 64 will first stagnate and then decline. The steepest drop is expected among those in their 40s and 50s, with this group’s share shrinking from around 64% to 56.6% over the coming years. Tomáš Dombrovský, from Alma Career (the owner of Jobs.cz and Práce.cz), warns that many firms are unprepared. As more workers age into middle and later stages of life, he says, “the moment companies begin to reject them, we will have a big problem.” Foreign Workers: Partial Solution, But Not Enough Foreign labour has helped cushion the blow. Refugees from Ukraine have filled gaps, but mostly women have arrived, while male migration has declined. Meanwhile, wages in neighbouring countries like Poland, Romania, and...
The Czech Republic is “ready” to send special operations helicopter unit to Poland, according to Defense Ministry statement on Wednesday. “The Czech Republic will support Poland in ensuring defense against current threats in connection with the impacts of Russian drones on Polish territory. It is ready to send a helicopter unit for special operations with specially modified Mi-171S aircraft to the country,” the statement said. It said that Poland requested the deployment of the unit following a phone call between Defense Minister Jana Cernochova and her Polish counterpart Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz. “Poland is our close and reliable ally … It is important that the help comes quickly and that we show Russia our unity. We are ready to send the unit within a matter of days,” Cernochova also said. The move came after Poland shot down suspected Russian drones with the support of NATO aircraft, the first time a member of the alliance is known to have fired shots during Russia’s war in Ukraine. “At the request of the Operational Command of the Branches of the Armed Forces, air traffic restrictions will be introduced in the eastern part of Poland in the form of the restricted zone EP R129,” the agency...
Poland shot down drones that entered its airspace on Wednesday, the first time a member of NATO is known to have fired shots during Russia’s war in Ukraine. Here are some reactions to the situation from some leading politicians and officials. Petr Fiala The Czech Republic stands firmly with Poland and is prepared, if necessary, to help defend Europe’s borders against Russian provocations, Prime Minister Petr Fiala said after Wednesdays cabinet meeting at which ministers discussed the Russian drone attack on Ukraine which also struck Polish territory. The Czech prime minister stressed that Czechia’s readiness to help applies to any steps agreed within NATO. According to Fiala, the Putin regime is systematically testing how far it can go and is a threat to all of Europe. Volodymyr Zelenskyy “It is clear that Russian aggression poses a danger to every independent nation in our region, and therefore only joint and coordinated action can guarantee reliable security. The precedent of using combat aircraft from several European countries simultaneously to shoot down Russian weapons and protect human lives is highly significant.” “Together, Europeans are always stronger. Russia must feel that the response to this escalatory step, and even more so to an attempt...
Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said that he will propose ending the free movement of Russian diplomats in Schengen area as part of the 19th sanctions package to be unveiled next month. “I will keep proposing to end the free movement of Russian diplomats in Schengen,” Lipavsky told Politico on Tuesday, stressing that it is an “an unnecessary advantage” Europe gives to Russia. He also claimed that it is being “abused to facilitate sabotage operations.” Four anonymous European diplomats told Politico that the upcoming 19th sanctions package against Moscow, expected to be unveiled next month, is unlikely to include major new restrictions on energy sales. They noted that the package will instead target shadow fleet vessels and companies that help Russia circumvent existing regulations. “We don’t expect there will be much room for any material Russian oil sanctions in the EU’s 19th sanctions package,” Ajay Parmar, lead crude market analyst at Independent Commodity Intelligence Services (ICIS), told Politico. The Czech government also wants the EU to accept only biometric passports, which are harder to forge or link to false identities. The Czech proposal has been on the table for nearly two years, but until now has lacked sufficient support. Running...
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