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On 3 and 4 October 2025, the Czech Republic will elect a new parliament – a decision with far-reaching significance beyond its borders. Amid tense economic and political circumstances, established parties, protest movements, and populist forces are vying to set the country’s direction. At present, the country is governed by a four-party coalition of EPP- and ECR-affiliated parties under Prime Minister Petr Fiala (ODS, member of the ECR). The coalition is composed of the conservative electoral alliance Spolu (ODS, KDU, TOP 09) and the centrist STAN. It has anchored the Czech Republic firmly in the EU and NATO, launched reforms such as pension restructuring and a major consolidation package – but in doing so has encountered growing public dissatisfaction. Polls show the anti-establishment ANO party of businessman and former Prime Minister Andrej Babiš running neck-and-neck with the governing coalition. Yet ANO’s coalition options are limited. A partnership with the extremist far-right SPD, which merged with other small parties on the radical right in 2025 and now polls at 12 per cent, seems the most likely. At the other end of the spectrum, the new left-wing nationalist alliance Stačilo! – founded in 2023 by former Social Democrats and Communists – is also trying to enter parliament with populist slogans. As in other parts of Europe, the election campaign is dominated by issues such as rising living costs, the pension reform, and questions of energy security. A heated debate is also raging over defence, disinformation, and the Czech Republic’s future stance towards the EU, NATO, and Ukraine. For the first time in two decades, the country’s membership of the Western alliances is being challenged politically, while Prime Minister Fiala is making a clear case for alignment with the West and continued support for Ukraine.
This election is of strategic importance for the EU. The Czech Republic is economically closely integrated with Germany, plays a key role in European energy and security policy, and, depending on the outcome, could remain a stabilising force in the region – or, in the worst case, become part of an illiberal axis with Orbán’s Hungary and Fico’s Slovakia.
The event "The Morning After – The Czech Republic has voted" will take place on Monday, 6 October 2025, from 09:30 to 10:15 (CEST) via Zoom. We look forward to discussing the topics above with Dr Marco Arndt, Head of the KAS Office for the Czech Republic in Prague. After the conversation between Dr Arndt and Dr Beatrice Gorawantschy, Head of the KAS Europe Office in Brussels, the audience will have the opportunity to ask their own questions. The event will be held in German, with simultaneous translation into English.
Download the agenda: Programme 25-10-06 The Morning After - The Czech Republic has voted.pdf
