Sun Oct 05 03:00:00 UTC 2025: **News Article:**

**Babis’s ANO Party Wins Czech Elections, Falls Short of Majority**

Prague – Billionaire businessman Andrej Babis and his populist ANO party emerged victorious in the Czech Republic’s parliamentary elections, securing just under 35% of the vote and 80 seats in the 200-seat lower house. Despite the win, ANO fell short of an overall majority, setting the stage for complex coalition negotiations.

Babis, who previously served as prime minister from 2017 to 2021, celebrated the “historic success” with cheering supporters, playing a remix of the Italian pop song ‘Sarà perché ti amo.’ He vowed to make the Czech Republic “the best place to live in the European Union.”

The election outcome was largely expected, but significant questions remain regarding the formation of a new government. Babis has already engaged in preliminary talks with two small, right-wing eurosceptic parties: Motorists for Themselves, an anti-Green Deal party, and Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD), an anti-immigrant party led by Tomio Okamura. An alliance with both parties would be necessary to secure a parliamentary majority.

While ANO and Motorists for Themselves share common ground on EU emissions targets and opposition to policies that increase the financial burden on Czech households for cleaner energy, relations with the SPD could prove more challenging. Disagreements exist on key policy priorities, such as a potential referendum on EU and NATO membership, which Babis opposes.

Babis has also stated his intention to scrap the Czech ammunition initiative, which has supplied 3.5 million shells to Ukraine since 2022, citing transparency concerns.

Despite concerns from Western allies about the Czech Republic’s reliability under his leadership, Babis dismissed such claims, referencing his past relationships with U.S. leaders, including former President Donald Trump.

The election results mark a significant moment for Czech politics, potentially signaling a shift in the country’s approach to key issues such as European integration, environmental policy, and support for Ukraine.

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