Voters in the Czech Republic participated in the European Parliament elections, with immigration being a significant issue in the campaign. The far-right and far-left united in opposition to the EU’s immigration and climate change policies, as well as against military support for Ukraine. Former populist Prime Minister Andrej Babis and his ANO movement ran on an anti-immigration platform, aligning themselves with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. ANO was leading in the polls ahead of the centrist Together coalition, which includes the conservative Civic Democratic Party, Christian Democrats, and TOP 09 party, as well as the Pirate Party and STAN, a group of mayors and independent candidates.
In other EU Member States, the official election results will be announced on Sunday evening after all countries have completed their voting. The election campaign saw a resurgence of far-right and far-left parties united in their criticism of EU policies on immigration and climate change, as well as their opposition to military support for Ukraine. The Czech Republic, in particular, saw a strong anti-immigration sentiment with former Prime Minister Andrej Babis and his ANO movement campaigning against immigration and what they referred to as “green madness.” Babis’ stance on immigration aligned closely with that of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who is also known for his anti-immigration stance.
The ANO movement led the polls in the Czech Republic ahead of the centre-right Together coalition, which includes the Civic Democratic Party, Christian Democrats, and TOP 09 party. The Pirate Party and STAN are also expected to secure seats in the European Parliament elections. Czech voters participated in the elections on the second day of voting, which took place on Friday. The final results will be released on Sunday night once all countries have completed voting. The elections have highlighted the division within the EU over key issues such as immigration, climate change, and military support for Ukraine.
Throughout the campaign, far-right and far-left parties have found common ground in their critique of the EU’s policies. Immigration and climate change were central issues in the election, with parties like ANO in the Czech Republic running on an anti-immigration platform. Former populist Prime Minister Andrej Babis and his ANO movement campaigned against what they called “green madness” and anti-immigration rhetoric. Their stance on immigration mirrored that of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has also been a vocal opponent of immigration in the EU.
The Centre-right Together coalition, consisting of the Civic Democratic Party, Christian Democrats, and TOP 09 party, is expected to be a significant player in the Czech Republic’s representation in the European Parliament. Additionally, the Pirate Party and STAN, a group of mayors and independent candidates, are also likely to secure seats in the election. The results of the European Parliament elections will reveal the extent of support for anti-immigration and far-right parties across the EU, as well as their opposition to current EU policies on immigration, climate change, and military intervention in Ukraine. Overall, the elections have highlighted the growing divisions within the EU on these critical issues.
