Mayor Marketa Vankova addresses journalists outside Hostinec u Seminaru on Saturday evening, following her coalition’s victory. Photo credit: Marketa Vankova, via Facebook.
Brno, Sep 26 (BD) – After this weekend’s local elections in Brno, the coalition of ODS and TOP 09 emerged as the largest group, with 16 seats on the 55-seat council, overtaking ANO, which slipped into second place with 13 seats, compared to 18 before the election.
Others passing the 5% threshold necessary for representation in the council included the Christian Democrat/Mayors and Independents coalition (10 seats), a far-right grouping led by Tomio Okamura’s SPD (6 seats), the Pirate Party (4 seats), the Social Democrats (CSSD; 3 seats), and the Green Party/Zit Brno joint list (3 seats).
Turnout in the city-wide election was 41.9%.
The previous city government was a four-party coalition led by ODS, excluding the largest party, ANO. These results make it almost certain that Brno will continue to have an ODS-led administration. Options for the party include a coalition with ANO, possibly with another party, or an adjustment of the current arrangements to include ODS-KDU/STAN-Pirates-CSSD, though either one of these last two smaller parties would suffice for a majority. According to Mayor Marketa Vankova (ODS), the party will meet with all the other possible coalition partners this week, starting with ANO today.
In Brno-Stred, by far the city district with the largest population, ODS/TOP 09 came first with 28% of the vote, followed by a Green/Pirate/Zit Brno coalition in second (21%) and ANO in third (19%). ODS and ANO have already expressed their intention to work together in a coalition in the district council.
