Czech Election: Former Prime Minister Aligned with "Trumpists" Likely to Win
The Czech parliamentary elections were held on October 3rd and 4th. It appears that billionaire and former Prime Minister Andrej Babiš is likely to return to power. Babiš, who advocates for "Czech first," intends to cut aid to Ukraine. What does his potential return to power mean for Ukraine and the EU?
Electoral results are expected to be announced later on Saturday. Current polls show that Babiš's right-wing populist party ANO, which received more than 30% of the votes, is leading. "ANO" means "Yes" and is also an abbreviation for "Action of Discontented Citizens."
Babiš calls himself a "Trumpist" and opposes continued military aid to Ukraine.
Polls show that the current Prime Minister Peter Fiala's center-right coalition Spolu ("Together") lags behind ANO, with a vote share of about 20%. Another liberal conservative alliance STAN has around 10% support.
What impact will Babiš and ANO's victory have on Ukraine and the EU?
Analysts are concerned that if ANO wins in the election for 200 seats in the Chamber of Deputies, it could cause trouble for Ukraine. Under the leadership of current Prime Minister Fiala, the Czech Republic is a firm ally of Kyiv.
This vote may further disrupt the balance within the EU. The Czech Republic might join forces with Hungary and Slovakia to oppose Brussels. Hungary and Slovakia have refused to provide military aid to Ukraine and challenged EU sanctions against Russia.
Babiš called himself a "pacifist" during the campaign and promised to take a "Czech first" approach to leadership.
Current Prime Minister Fiala clearly stated the stakes of the election, saying that voters "decide the direction of the Czech Republic... whether we are moving towards the past or the future, our path is east or west."
What happens if Babiš and ANO fail to win an absolute majority?
Although ANO seems poised to win, it may not secure an absolute majority, which would mean Babiš may be forced to form a coalition government.
A possible partner is the Czech far-right Freedom and Direct Democracy Party (SPD), which currently has a poll rating of about 12%. Analysts say that this party spends much more on online advertising than all other parties combined. The party has also been accused of using social media to "systematically spread pro-Russian propaganda and support anti-establishment parties through manipulative methods."
Therefore, the European Commission held an "emergency meeting" with social media operators on Thursday and decided to remove "multiple bot accounts" from the platform under the "context of the Czech election."
Voting ended at 2 p.m. local time in the Czech Republic, and Czech media reported that voter turnout was high on Friday. Results are expected to be announced on Saturday evening.
Source: DW
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1845091960900616/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.