Overview

• With roughly two-thirds of votes counted, early tallies show ANO ahead, with Prime Minister Petr Fiala’s Spolu alliance in a distant second.
• Even with a lead, ANO is unlikely to govern alone as Spolu, STAN and the Pirates have ruled out joining or propping up an ANO cabinet.
• Andrej Babiš ran on promises to raise wages and boost growth, while vowing to stop Czech military aid to Ukraine and reduce support for Ukrainian refugees.
• Analysts note that deals with marginal parties such as the far-right SPD or the 'Enough!' bloc could shift Czech policy closer to Hungary and Slovakia on Ukraine.
• President Petr Pavel has said he will not authorize any government that includes forces questioning national security or the country’s EU and NATO membership.