Last weekend, 5 and 6 October, Czechs went to the polls to cast their ballots in municipal elections and in elections to one third of the Senate. The ANO party of Prime Minister Andrej Babiš emerged as the largest party in the Czech municipal elections in all regional capitals except Prague – where the opposition Civic Democrats and Pirates took first and second place, respectively.

The elections were seen as a test of the ruling ANO party’s ability to win support at the local level and first popular test for the minority ANO-Social Democrat coalition government formed in July.

Prime Minister Babiš commented the victory saying “When we look at the regional big cities, in 2014, we had nine victories and now we may have 11. As for the districts, in 2014 we had 13 wins and now we have 17. I think our citizens see that the ANO movement is moving our country forward. To the top of Europe.”

As for the Senate race, 11 ANO candidates advanced the second round which will take place on 12 and 13 October.