Czechia’s ANO leads EU election polls with conservative coalition close behind

5 months ago 18

The populist movement of former prime minister Andrej Babiš, ANO (Renew), is set to win the EU elections in Czechia with 23.1% of the vote, while the conservative coalition of Prime Minister Petr Fiala, Spolu (EPP+ECR), is in second place with 21.5%, new polls show.

Both ANO, the largest opposition party in the country, and Spolu would secure six seats each in the new European Parliament, according to the May election model by the STEM agency for CNN Prima News.

According to STEM, the liberal STAN (Independent) would win 10.3% of the vote and three seats. The far-right coalition of Freedom and Direct Democracy and Trikolora (ID) would come fourth with 9.5%, closely followed by the Pirates (Greens/EFA) with 9.4% and two seats each. The far-left coalition Stačilo! (The Left) would get 8.1% of the vote and two seats.

However, STEM Director Martin Buchtík suggests that ANO appears to be losing some potential voters to the far-right alliance Freedom and Direct Democracy.

“We can say that, to some extent, the success of Freedom and Direct Democracy could be at the expense of ANO,” he told CNN Prima News.

In the run-up to the European elections, ANO has gradually become one of the most vocal critics of the EU.

It strongly opposes the EU Green Deal and the recently adopted Migration and Asylum Pact, using the same rhetoric as the far-right Freedom and Direct Democracy.

Many people are also torn between Spolu and STAN.

“Currently, more people are leaning slightly towards Spolu, essentially draining support from STAN,” said Buchtík, adding that the situation could still change in the final week before the elections.

(Aneta Zachová | Euractiv.cz)