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CZECHIA: ANO Expected To Increase Its Presence In Senate After Run-Offs

CZECHIA
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Czech citizens will cast their votes in the senatorial run-offs held in 22 districts where none of the candidates managed to secure an outright majority in the first round. Polling stations will open this afternoon and close on Saturday.

  • Five races were decided in the first round, which was a new record. Two seats were captured by ANO, while KDU-CSL, TOP 09 and SOCDEM won one each. The total of 27 seats are up for grabs in this election. This is because Senate elections are staggered, with one-third of all senators elected for six-year terms every two years.
  • Prior to the election, the upper house was dominated by representatives of the ruling coalition, who held 71 out of 81 seats. The position of Senate President was occupied by Milos Vystrcil from Prime Minister Petr Fiala's ODS party. The main opposition ANO party had just 5 senators.
  • The Senate does not have much real political power. It can merely delay legislation and its consent is needed to approve some nominations. However, this election is seen as a litmus paper of the popularity of the ruling coalition ahead of the much more consequential 2025 lower house election.
  • In the lead-up to senatorial run-offs, the government remains in disarray. The poor showing from the Pirate Party in last week's regional polls led to the resignation of its leader Ivan Bartos. This removed an obstacle for PM Fiala to sack him as Regional Development Minister, following intensive criticism of his botched attempts to reform the construction permit system.
  • The senatorial run-offs are contested by 19 ANO candidates, which gives the party an opportunity to increase its presence in the upper house. Political scientist Josef Mlejnek told iDNES that the "everyone against ANO" pattern will manifest itself, but will not be as strong as two years ago.
  • The outcome of the election may determine whether Marian Jurecka will seek re-election as KDU-CSL leader in around three weeks. There has been speculation that South Moravian Region Governor Jan Grolich could be a potential successor. Grolich told Seznam Zpravy that "the mood in that party is such that that change will happen."
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Czech citizens will cast their votes in the senatorial run-offs held in 22 districts where none of the candidates managed to secure an outright majority in the first round. Polling stations will open this afternoon and close on Saturday.

  • Five races were decided in the first round, which was a new record. Two seats were captured by ANO, while KDU-CSL, TOP 09 and SOCDEM won one each. The total of 27 seats are up for grabs in this election. This is because Senate elections are staggered, with one-third of all senators elected for six-year terms every two years.
  • Prior to the election, the upper house was dominated by representatives of the ruling coalition, who held 71 out of 81 seats. The position of Senate President was occupied by Milos Vystrcil from Prime Minister Petr Fiala's ODS party. The main opposition ANO party had just 5 senators.
  • The Senate does not have much real political power. It can merely delay legislation and its consent is needed to approve some nominations. However, this election is seen as a litmus paper of the popularity of the ruling coalition ahead of the much more consequential 2025 lower house election.
  • In the lead-up to senatorial run-offs, the government remains in disarray. The poor showing from the Pirate Party in last week's regional polls led to the resignation of its leader Ivan Bartos. This removed an obstacle for PM Fiala to sack him as Regional Development Minister, following intensive criticism of his botched attempts to reform the construction permit system.
  • The senatorial run-offs are contested by 19 ANO candidates, which gives the party an opportunity to increase its presence in the upper house. Political scientist Josef Mlejnek told iDNES that the "everyone against ANO" pattern will manifest itself, but will not be as strong as two years ago.
  • The outcome of the election may determine whether Marian Jurecka will seek re-election as KDU-CSL leader in around three weeks. There has been speculation that South Moravian Region Governor Jan Grolich could be a potential successor. Grolich told Seznam Zpravy that "the mood in that party is such that that change will happen."