- Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala leads a center-right coalition — with ANO (Babis) remaining the largest single opposition party ahead of the October 2025 elections.
- The Czech Republic has been a strong supporter of Ukraine — contributing substantial military aid and arms manufacturing capacity to the Ukrainian war effort.
- Czechia emerged from its Soviet bloc past to become a prosperous EU member — its proximity to Germany makes it deeply integrated into German industrial supply chains.
- The Czech Republic's 2025 elections will be closely watched — Andrej Babis's ANO party could return to power if center-right coalition parties cannot maintain unity.
Czechia: Petr Pavel, Babiš Returns & NATO's Frontline State
After four years of Fiala's pro-Western leadership, ANO's Babiš is back — while President Petr Pavel, a former NATO Military Committee chair, holds the line for Western values.
Parliament Polling — Chamber of Deputies (200 Seats)
| Party | Leader | Latest Poll | EP Group | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANO | Andrej Babiš | 27% | Patriots for Europe | Centrist-populist, government |
| ODS (SPOLU) | Petr Fiala | 15% | ECR | Conservative, main opposition |
| SPD | Tomio Okamura | 12% | ESN | Far-right nationalist, opposition |
| STAN | Vít Rakušan | 10% | Renew | Liberal pro-EU, opposition |
| SD-SN | Various | 8% | S&D | Social Democrat, opposition |
| Piráti | Ivan Bartoš | 7% | Greens/EFA | Digital rights liberal, opposition |
Average of polls, early 2026. Czech electoral threshold: 5% single parties, 8% two-party coalitions, 11% three+ party coalitions.
Political Analysis
Babiš Returns, Pavel Holds Firm
ANO won the October 2025 elections on cost-of-living and EU sovereignty messaging. Babiš leads a coalition government for his second premiership. President Petr Pavel — a former NATO Military Committee chairman — remains in office as a pro-Western stabilizing force, creating a cohabitation dynamic.
Energy Inflation, EU Mandates, Ukraine
Czech households were among the hardest hit in the EU by 2021–2023 energy inflation. ANO campaigned on EU Green Deal skepticism and cost-of-living relief. Under Babiš the Czech ammunition initiative legacy is preserved but Ukraine support signals are more ambiguous. Czech manufacturing and auto exports face EU Green transition pressures.
Patriots for Europe Member
ANO joined Orbán's Patriots for Europe EP group, shifting Czech EU influence from the mainstream to the Eurosceptic bloc. Combined with Hungary and Austria's FPÖ, Czechia under Babiš may block EU Council consensus on Green Deal and Ukraine aid measures. Czech EU presidency tradition as honest broker is under strain.
Current Political Situation
The Czech Republic's October 2025 parliamentary election marked a decisive return for Andrej Babiš and his ANO (Action of Dissatisfied Citizens) movement. ANO had governed from 2017 to 2021 before being ousted by the broad anti-Babiš SPOLU coalition under Petr Fiala. Fiala's four-year government was notable for its strongly pro-Western orientation: Czechia became one of Ukraine's firmest backers, organized the landmark Czech ammunition initiative sourcing artillery shells from outside the EU, and re-energized its NATO commitment. However, the cost-of-living crisis — exacerbated by energy shocks following Russia's invasion — eroded SPOLU's popularity and allowed Babiš to retool his populist message around economic grievances, EU regulatory fatigue, and skepticism toward prolonged Ukraine war spending.
Babiš himself is a billionaire agribusiness and media magnate — founder of the Agrofert conglomerate — who spent much of the past decade under investigation for EU subsidy fraud. In 2023 a Czech court acquitted him of charges relating to alleged misuse of EU farm subsidies for his Stork Nest farm, clearing a major legal obstacle to his political comeback. His populist style — the "I'll run the country like a firm" rhetoric, his outsider-billionaire persona — draws consistent comparisons to Donald Trump. Babiš has cultivated a close political alignment with Viktor Orbán within the Patriots for Europe EP group.
President Petr Pavel — a retired four-star general and former NATO Military Committee chairman elected in January 2023 on a strongly pro-Western, pro-Ukraine platform — continues in office as a check on Babiš's government. Pavel defeated Babiš himself in the 2023 presidential runoff and remains one of Central Europe's most credible pro-NATO voices. The cohabitation dynamic between a populist-nationalist PM and a pro-Western president echoes France's Fifth Republic architecture, and Pavel is expected to use presidential powers to slow any reversal of Czech Ukraine support or NATO commitments.
Key Figures
Andrej Babiš
ANO founder and billionaire. PM 2017–2021 and returned 2025. Aligned with Orbán's Patriots for Europe. Acquitted of EU fraud charges 2023. Compared to Trump: populist, anti-establishment, immune to legal jeopardy.
Petr Pavel
Former Czech Army general and NATO Military Committee chairman (2015–2018). Elected president January 2023 defeating Babiš in a runoff. Firmly pro-NATO, pro-Ukraine, pro-EU. A stabilizing Western voice in cohabitation with Babiš.
Petr Fiala
ODS leader and PM 2021–2025. Led the Czech ammunition initiative and made Czechia one of Europe's strongest Ukraine backers. Now leads SPOLU in opposition. His legacy is a credible pro-Western record.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the 2025 Czech parliamentary election?
ANO (Andrej Babiš) won with approximately 27% of the vote — the largest party. SPOLU (Petr Fiala) suffered significant losses. Babiš returned to lead the government for a second time, likely requiring a coalition with smaller parties to secure a majority in the 200-seat Chamber of Deputies.
Who is Petr Pavel, the Czech president?
Petr Pavel is a retired four-star Czech general and former NATO Military Committee chairman. He was elected president in January 2023 on a strongly pro-Western, pro-Ukraine platform, defeating Babiš in a second-round runoff. As president, he functions as a pro-NATO stabilizing force in cohabitation with the Babiš government.
Is the Czech Republic supporting Ukraine?
Under PM Fiala, Czech Republic was one of Europe's strongest Ukraine backers, running the multinational ammunition initiative that sourced 155mm artillery shells from outside the EU. Under Babiš, support continues formally but signals have shifted toward preferring negotiations. President Pavel remains a strong pro-Ukraine voice independently of the government.
More to Explore
European Union
EP groups, key leaders & 2029 elections.
Slovakia
Fico's pro-Russia turn — Central Europe's other populist pivot.
Hungary
Orbán's Patriots for Europe — the bloc Babiš joined.
Poland
Tusk's return & Poland's NATO frontline role.
Austria
Kickl's FPÖ — another Patriots for Europe member.