Czech Elections: Opponent of Ukraine Aid Leads Polls

On October 3rd, parliamentary elections began in the Czech Republic, the results of which could radically change not only the country's domestic policy but also its foreign policy stance, especially regarding Ukraine. Former Prime Minister, billionaire Andrej Babiš, who is considered one of the staunchest critics of providing military aid to Kyiv, has a real chance of returning to power.

According to polls conducted by Politico, Babiš's ANO ("Action of Dissatisfied Citizens") party is confidently leading the list, enjoying the support of 30% of voters. The ruling coalition of the current Prime Minister Petr Fiala lags significantly behind with 19% support, and in third place is the nationalist SPD party with 13%.

Babiš's pre-election rhetoric is built around several key theses. He promises to review the Czech Republic's commitments within NATO and sharply criticizes the European scheme for purchasing shells for Ukraine, calling it corrupt. These messages find fertile ground among the public, as the Czech Republic is currently facing serious socio-economic problems: rising energy prices and inflation reaching up to 15%. The level of dissatisfaction with the government of the current Prime Minister Fiala is reaching a record 70%.

Another key target of Babiš's campaign is Ukrainian refugees. The Czech Republic, with a population of 10.9 million, has accepted a record number of 660,000 Ukrainian refugees. Babiš is actively exploiting this topic, accusing the authorities of "caring more about Ukraine than about the Czechs themselves."

If the poll results match the voting results, and Babiš is able to form a government, the political course of the Czech Republic could change dramatically. In that case, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, known for their Eurosceptic and restrained positions on Ukraine, will have a new powerful ally within the European Union. The voting will end tomorrow at 15:00, after which the future political course of the Czech Republic and, possibly, all of Central Europe will become clear.