Czech opposition ANO seizes regional election win

PRAGUE, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) — Czech main opposition party Action of Dissatisfied Citizens (ANO) on Saturday emerged victorious in the regional elections, winning 10 out of the country’s 13 regions.
The ruling Together coalition won in South Moravian Region, the Civic Democrats (ODS) in South Bohemian Region, and the Mayors for Liberec Region in its own region, according to preliminary official results.
The Together coalition is formed by three parties: the ODS, TOP 09 and the Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL).
Meanwhile, ANO also took lead in the first round of Senate elections held along with the regional elections on Friday and Saturday. In all, five candidates have been elected in the first round, and ANO has two elected senators as well as the most candidates advancing to the second round.
The Senate is the upper house of the Czech Parliament. It has 81 senators, with one-third of them, or 27, elected every two years. If a Senate candidate in a given district does not win a majority in the first round, a second round will be held a week later, pitting the two candidates with the most votes against each other.
ANO leader Andrej Babis said the victory in the regional elections is the result of intensive work in the parliamentary opposition, the Czech News Agency reported. The most important elections will be in a year’s time, he said, referring to the general election.
ODS leader and Prime Minister Petr Fiala said the outcome of the regional and Senate elections reflects reality. “I cannot consider it a success, but it is not a fatal failure either,” he said on social media platform X. ■