Czechs vote in high-stakes election that could return Babis to power

Czech billionaire and former Prime Minister Andrej Babis's populist ANO party had a wide lead in a parliamentary election on Saturday, after nearly 50% of voting districts had reported, statistics office data showed.

ANO had 38.3% of votes, ahead of Prime Minister Petr Fiala's centre-right Spolu group with 20.3%. Six parties were above the 5% threshold to win seats in the 200-member lower house, according to the partial results.

Across the Czech Republic — from Prague's cobblestone streets to small countryside towns — roughly 8 million eligible voters are casting ballots.

"I wish for a new government, yes. I do think the last four years wasn't the best and hopefully it will be better," said Jachym Gavelcik, a student and first-time voter.

Like many young voters, Gavelcik says the country needs change. Inflation has squeezed incomes, and living costs have surged since the Ukraine conflict.

Billionaire Andrej Babis, who served as prime minister from 2017 to 2021, is betting on that frustration. His party, ANO — which means "Yes" in English — has promised higher wages, lower taxes, and what he calls "common-sense politics."

"I want to ask our voters not to feel that we've won. We can easily lose as well. So I'm asking them all to come to the polls and support us, because it's very important," Babis said while urging supporters to vote.

Babis — an ally of Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán — has taken a tough stance on Ukraine, vowing to end the Czech-led ammunition project supplying artillery shells to Kyiv.

If his ANO party wins the most seats, Babis would still need coalition partners. Analysts say that could include the far-right SPD movement, whose leaders share his skepticism toward the European Union and NATO.

Critics warn such a shift could move the Czech Republic away from its pro-Western path.

"These are very important elections because we are deciding on the direction of the Czech Republic. Whether we head into the past or into the future, whether our path goes east or west," said Prime Minister Petr Fiala.

Fiala's center-right coalition has urged voters to stay the course, saying campaign promises and "easy fixes" could undo years of fiscal restraint. But after years of inflation and tight budgets, many Czechs are tired of austerity.

No government in the Czech Republic has been re-elected since 2006. Rising prices and shrinking paychecks are weighing heavily on voters as they decide what kind of future they want.

For many Czechs, the vote is about more than politics — it's about direction. East or West. Past or future. The choice will shape the Czech Republic's next chapter.