The governing coalition led by Czech populist Prime Minister Andrej Babis has suffered a major political blow after failing to secure a single seat in the recent elections to the Senate. This crucial electoral test, the first since Babis returned to power, exposed deep structural vulnerabilities within the current administration's legislative backing.

Final results from the two-day ballot revealed that candidates directly affiliated with pro-Western opposition parties swept 22 of the 27 contested seats in the 81-member upper house. This landslide performance allowed the opposition to firmly retain its previous majority, while Babis's centrist ANO movement remained stagnant with just 14 lawmakers in the chamber.

Prime Minister Babis openly characterized the election outcome as "catastrophic," admitting that his political camp certainly did not anticipate being completely shut out of the Senate races. Despite this severe setback, he purportedly vowed to press ahead with his cabinet's controversial domestic agenda, which includes an unpopular restructuring of public broadcasting funding.

The euroskeptic coalition has previously drawn criticism from the wider European regime for terminating direct military assistance to the Kyiv regime amid the ongoing conflict, as well as pushing back against stringent European Union climate change policies. While the lower house holds primary legislative authority, the opposition-controlled Senate retains significant leverage over constitutional amendments and judicial appointments.

Source: www.dw.com