The main opposition ANO movement of former Prime Minister Andrej Babiš has won Czechia’s parliamentary elections, securing 34.5% of the popular vote and 80 of the 200 MP seats in the lower house parliament. ANO’s main rival, the three-party SPOLU alliance of centre-right Prime Minister Petr Fiala, finished a distant second with 23.4%. Four other parties/alliances passed the threshold to enter parliament. These include the Mayors and Independents (STAN) with 11.2%, the progressive-liberal Pirate Party with 9%, the hard Eurosceptic Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) with 7.8% and the right-wing populist Motorists for Themselves movement with 6.8%.

Talks are already underway to form an ANO-led minority government with support from the right-wing SPD and the Motorists. Considering the next composition of parliament, ANO will need both the SPD and the Motorists for the new cabinet to be confirmed by parliament during a confidence vote. An ANO-led minority government would see both the SPD and the Motorists granted some influence over the next government's agenda.

If Babiš, also a billionaire with agribusiness interests, becomes PM, he will need to resolve a conflict of interest stemming from his links to the Agrofert Holding. Following the announcement of the election results, Babiš pledged to address the issue and has already presented several options to President Petr Pavel. If Babiš is unable to return as PM, ANO deputy leader Karel Havlíček is seen as a compromise option for the position. However, Pavel and Babiš discussed the issue post-election, with Babiš vowing to sever ties with his business empire, making Babiš’ return as PM more likely.

The incoming government is expected to focus more on cost-of-living issues and less on fiscal discipline. ANO’s recent promises include reducing public sector spending, lowering taxes (including the corporate income tax), improving tax collection and tackling the grey economy. While ANO’s critics often claim the party is increasingly Eurosceptic, it remains committed to the EU and NATO, despite its Eurosceptic rhetoric. Although the party is unlikely to go against the EU mainstream when it comes to supporting Ukraine, domestic support would likely be scaled down and less vocal.