Czech Elections: Will Billionaire Babis Embrace the Far Right?

Tue Oct 21 2025 00:44:30 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

As Czechs head to the polls, billionaire Andrej Babis looks set to return to power but may need support from far-right parties. Can he balance populism with Western alliances?

Czechs are gearing up to vote in a tense election where billionaire populist Andrej Babis is poised to regain the prime ministership. With the country facing security concerns and potential Russian interference, Babis aims to position himself as a pro-Western leader but may require alliances with extreme parties. His campaign, heavily inspired by the US MAGA movement, raises critical debates on the future direction of Czech politics and its relations with the EU and NATO amidst a shifting political landscape.

Czechs go to the polls on Friday and Saturday facing a deteriorating security situation in Europe and fears of Russian interference.

Populist billionaire Andrej Babis, 71, is tipped to head the next government, replacing the strongly pro-Western, pro-Ukraine coalition.

But he'll likely need allies on the extremes of Czech politics – and their price will not be cheap.

We'll never drag the Czech Republic to the East. I can absolutely rule that out, Babis told a crowd of mostly elderly supporters, gathered around a stage in the former steel town of Kladno, just outside Prague.

We weren't the ones who sat down with Putin - we were the ones who expelled Russian diplomats! he went on, referring to measures taken in his first term following revelations that Russia's GRU military intelligence had blown up a Czech ammunition dump in 2014.

A row of grey heads nodded as the former prime minister warmed to his theme.

And never - I repeat, never - will we consider leaving the European Union. Look at what happened to Great Britain! And they're a nuclear power. They've got gas, oil, a fishing industry. They're friends with Trump, he added.

Many supporters were wearing Babis's red baseball cap emblazoned with the words Strong Czechia – heavily inspired by Trump's Maga movement.

The problem for Babis – and it could soon become a problem for NATO and the EU – is that his ANO party is unlikely to win an overall majority. Instead, he will likely need to form alliances with smaller parties on the fringes of Czech politics.

Opinion polls suggest his choice of potential allies is limited to ultra-nationalist parties, some of which want referendums on leaving the EU and NATO.

We criticize the European Union, but we don't want to destroy it, we want to reform it, deputy leader Karel Havlicek told the BBC.

As young citizens, like political science student Ondrej Kapralek, express concerns about a shift toward illiberalism and closer ties with Moscow, the outcome of this election could redefine Czech politics and its role in Europe.