Czechia
The story
Czechoslovakia's opposition united under Civic Forum to win the first free elections in 1990. By 1992, a pluralist system had emerged — Christian Democrats, liberals, conservatives, Greens, and a Social Democratic party (ČSSD) with interwar roots — that alternated between centre-right and ČSSD governments through the 2000s. The last two decades have been far more volatile, with many new parties, several of them populist.
2011–2026 · ANO and Andrej Babiš
ANO 2011, founded by billionaire Andrej Babiš on an anti-corruption message, came second in 2013 and entered government as a junior partner. Babiš became prime minister after the 2017 election, and by 2018 was governing with support from the once-shunned Communist Party (KSČM) — ending its long-standing cordon sanitaire. Widely classified as populist, ANO has drifted left on economics and conservative on social issues under Babiš, who markets himself as a businessman rather than a politician ("we're not like the politicians; we toil"). Scandals triggered mass protests in 2018–19, ANO narrowly lost power in 2021 but returned decisively in October 2025, winning 34.5% and 80 of 200 seats. Babiš formed a government with SPD and the Motorists (108 seats), which took office in December 2025.
2015– · SPD and the harder right
Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD), founded in 2015 by Tomio Okamura, supports referendums on Czech membership of both the EU and NATO, opposes Islam and multiculturalism, and gained further from opposing Covid-19 restrictions. It has close ties with Marine Le Pen and other European radical-right parties. In 2025 it won 7.8% and 15 seats and entered the Babiš government, the first time the modern Czech radical right has governed nationally. Predecessors on the far right — SPR-RSČ, which peaked at 8 percent in 1996, and the Workers' Party (DS), dissolved by the Supreme Administrative Court in 2010, and its successor DSSS — have all faded.
The Communists (KSČM)
Post-communist Europe's most successful unreformed communist party, unchanged in name and ideology since Cold War rule. Focused on welfare, opposed to NATO, and favouring closer Russia ties, it sat in every parliament until losing all seats in 2021. It then led the left-nationalist Stačilo! alliance, which narrowly missed the threshold in 2025 with 4.3%.
2024-2025 · THE MOTORISTS’ BREAKTHROUGH
Motorists for Themselves (Motoristé sobě) grew out of opposition to climate rules and car restrictions, drawing on Václav Klaus’s legacy. Running with Přísaha, it won over ten percent in the 2024 European election thanks to ex-racing driver Filip Turek, then 6.8 percent and 13 seats in 2025. It combines market liberalism with national conservatism, rejects the euro and the EU migration pact but not EU membership, and backs NATO and no normalisation with Russia. Turek’s racist and Nazi-related controversies led President Pavel to oppose his cabinet appointment. The party joined the Babiš government in December 2025.
EP elections
KSČM has held EP seats since Czechia joined in 2004. ANO joined the liberal ALDE (later Renew Europe) group in 2014 but left after the 2024 election, co-founding Patriots for Europe with Fidesz and the FPÖ; it won the European election that year.
ANO
ANO 2011
- Economics Centre
- Social issues Conservative
- EU Soft euroscepticism
- Authoritarianism Medium
SPD
Freedom and Direct Democracy
- Economics Centre
- Social issues Conservative
- EU Hard euroscepticism
- Authoritarianism High
Motorists
Motorists for Themselves
- Economics Centre
- Social issues Conservative
- EU Soft euroscepticism
- Authoritarianism Medium