ANO has won the Czech regional elections, topping the polls in 10 out of 13 Czech regions, the same as in the previous elections four years ago, according to CTK. The Civic Democrats (ODS) won in South Bohemia, the Spolu coalition in South Moravia, and the Mayors for Liberec Region in Liberec.
Spolu is formed of ODS, TOP 09 and the Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL).
However, winning in 10 regions does not mean ANO will govern in all of them. ANO has been leading only three regions since the 2020 regional elections, since other parties managed to form majority coalitions after the elections, excluding ANO.
According to CTK, ANO is strong enough to govern in the Moravia-Silesia Region and the Karlovy Vary Region, and ODS can rule alone in South Bohemia. In all other regions, coalitions will need to be formed to hold a majority in the regional assembly. There was no incumbent single-party regional council in any region that lost its majority after this election.
In Liberec, the Mayors for Liberec Region retained their majority won four years ago. In 2020, the Mayors and Independents (STAN) won in Central Bohemia, and the coalition of ODS and STAN in Hradec Kralove Region.
According to CTK, ANO will have 35 members in the 65-seat regional assembly in Moravia-Silesia, up 11 from now. The sitting ANO governor, Jiri Belica, should therefore keep his position. In the Karlovy Vary regional assembly, ANO is likely to have 27 out of the 45 members, double the number before the election. The outgoing governor is Petr Kulhanek (STAN).
In South Bohemia, ODS is likely to have 34 members in the 55-seat regional assembly, up from 12. South Bohemia Governor Martin Kuba (ODS) is therefore highly likely to keep his post.
In the other regions, coalitions will have to be formed. ANO is close to a majority in the Usti and Olomouc Regions, while Spolu is in a similarly strong position in South Moravia.
ANO shows strongly in Senate election
ANO was also the clear winner of the first round of Senate election, with three candidates elected outright in the first round with its support, in Karvina, Ostrava, and Sokolov, and ANO candidates narrowly missing out on first-round wins in the flood-hit areas of Sumperk and Opava.
In total, five candidates were elected in the first round, the highest number in the history of Czech Senate elections. In the previous Senate election held two years ago, three candidates won a majority in the first round. In the 2018 Senate elections, when the senatorial mandates were contested in the same 27 wards as now, two were elected in the first round.
The other two candidates elected in the first round were diplomat and former presidential candidate Pavel Fischer, who defended his post in Prague 12, running as an independent with the support of four of the five government coalition parties, and former deputy prime minister and KDU-CSL leader Jiri Cunek, re-elected as senator for Vsetin for the third time. He has been in the upper house of Czech parliament since 2006.
In 22 of the 27 wards, no candidate won a majority in the first round, and therefore the two most successful candidates will meet in the second round next weekend. ANO candidates will be represented in 19 of these races.
