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Change of Government in the Czech Republic: A Test for Democracy?

by Dr. Marco Arndt, Alena Reslová, Martina Beránková

Babiš returns to the office of Prime Minister thanks to the inclusion of right-wing extremists.

On December 15, the new government of Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) was appointed by Czech President Petr Pavel. This marks the third time Andrej Babiš has become Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, but it is the first time he has done so through cooperation with the right-wing extremist anti-system party SPD (Freedom and Direct Democracy). The populist-conservative Motorists party joins as the third coalition partner. With 108 votes, the new government holds a secure majority in the Prague Chamber of Deputies. The confidence vote in Parliament will take place in January.
December 17, 2025 Order details

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This change of power has significance far beyond the Czech Republic: for Central Europe, the question arises whether Prague will follow the course of Brussels or that of Budapest in the future. At the same time, the new government could become a stress test for the country's democratic institutions, which have remained stable pillars of the political order in recent years and up to the present day.

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Contact Dr. Marco Arndt
Marco Arndt
Head of the Czech Republic and Slovakia Office
marco.arndt@kas.de

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