Billionaire Andrej Babiš has won the parliamentary elections in the Czech Republic, although his party fell short of securing a majority.
The victory marks a comeback for Babiš, who served as the country’s prime minister from 2017 to 2021. He is expected to focus his policies on domestic issues and halt military and financial support for Ukraine, which has been at war with Russia since February 2022.
Babiš’s YES party secured 35% of the vote, while the pro-Western coalition led by incumbent Prime Minister Petr Fiala won 23%.
The billionaire, who describes himself as a “Trumpist“, hailed the outcome as a “historic result“, with voter turnout reaching nearly 69%.
However, to achieve a parliamentary majority, Babiš will need to turn to Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD), the anti-immigration party that received 7.9% of the vote, as well as a right-wing party called Motorists, which gained 6.8%.
“We will definitely lead talks with the SPD and the Motorists and seek a single-party government led by ANO,” Babiš said.
