Victory comes next week in the Czech Republic as voters head to the polls on Friday for a two‑day general election that could shift the country’s stance on Ukraine and split the European Union and NATO.
The key figure is billionaire businessman and former prime minister Andrej Babiš, who is predicted to make a political comeback. Opinion polls put him in front of a pro‑Western coalition led by Petr Fiala, who defeated Babiš in the 2021 election.
If Babiš wins, Prague could join the orbit of Hungary’s Viktor Orbán and Slovakia’s Robert Fico—leaders that favor closer ties with Russia and have warned against sending military aid to Ukraine. Both Hungary and Slovakia continue to import Russian oil and have resisted EU sanctions on Moscow.
Last year, Babiš helped launch the “Patriots for Europe” alliance in the European Parliament, moving away from his previous liberal Renew group. The Patriots critique EU migration rules, climate‑change targets, and champion national sovereignty. Babiš claims he does not share a pro‑Russian stance, but he plans to end a Czech program that supplied Ukraine with millions of artillery shells and has opposed a NATO pledge to boost defence spending.
Under Fiala’s government, the Czech Republic supplied Ukraine with humanitarian and military aid and has hosted roughly half a million Ukrainian refugees.
Babiš has been a polarizing figure since entering Czech politics in 2013. A former Communist Party member before the 1989 Velvet Revolution, he has drawn comparisons with U.S. President Donald Trump and faces fraud charges over EU subsidies. Yet scandals have not weakened his popularity at home. His ANO (YES) movement, which he described as a “catch‑all” party, lost the 2021 parliamentary election after a turbulent term that included the Covid‑19 pandemic.
While Babiš would prefer to govern alone, polls suggest he could secure about 30 % of the vote—roughly 10 % more than Fiala’s coalition—but still short of an outright majority. He has ruled out working with any of the 2021‑government parties. Possible partners include two overtly pro‑Russian coalitions that aim to steer the Czech Republic out of the EU and NATO, though Babiš said that is not his goal. Another potential ally is a right‑wing group called Motorists, backed by former Eurosceptic president Václav Klaus, which vows to reject the EU’s environmental agenda.
The election will test whether the Czech Republic can keep its support for Ukraine or drift toward a more Russia‑friendly policy under Babiš’s lead.
Stay informed on all the latest news, real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in world News on Latest NewsX. Follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter(X), Gettr and subscribe our Youtube Channel.
