YES, Again
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The main opposition party of former Prime Minister Andrej Babiš secured most votes in the Czech upper house of parliament elections Saturday, a victory that bodes well for the populist leader ahead of next year’s legislative elections, Bloomberg reported.
The ANO party (or “YES” party) won eight of 27 seats up for grabs in the 81-seat senate in the two-round election. It was the first time the party secured that many seats in the upper house, although it is far short of a majority.
The ruling coalition of Prime Minister Petr Fiala still retained a majority in the upper chamber.
Although most of the legislative process is dominated by the lower house, the Senate plays an important role in passing constitutional amendments and approving constitutional court judges, the Associated Press wrote.
ANO’s victory comes a week after the party won 10 out of 13 regions in play during the country’s regional elections.
Both results underscore ANO’s growing popularity ahead of the 2025 parliamentary vote. Commentators said that Babiš’s party is favored to win next year’s poll.
Meanwhile, Babiš has said that he will seek to become prime minister again, a post he previously held between 2017 and 2021.
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