Former PM Andrej Babiš’s ANO emerged as the largest party in the Czech Parliament’s Lower House, marking a major comeback with strong electoral support. According to political scientist Ladislav Cabada, a key factor in the victory was that Babiš positioned himself as the leader of the opposition, formed a visible shadow government, and maintained effective communication.

Our guest expert stresses that ANO outperformed other, rather radical opposition parties and consolidated support from voters leaning toward these groups, presenting himself as a unifying character.

ANO focused primarily on domestic economic and social issues, resonating with voters, while the governing parties prioritized foreign policy, which many perceived as disconnected from their everyday concerns.

If you’d like to learn more about the background of the 2025 Czech election — including the contesting parties, the campaign themes, as well as the electoral system and geography — be sure to check out the latest episode of the Votes &  Seats podcast.

With the help of guest experts and politicians, in the podcast series of MCC’s Centre for Political Science we endeavor to analyze which actors are the real winners of the parliamentary and municipal elections taking place this year in different European countries and what exactly can be considered a real victory after the ballot counts.