Czech opposition parties win 22 of 27 contested Senate seats

Opposition parties secured 22 of the 27 seats contested in the Czech Senate election held in October 2026. The governing ANO 2011 party of Prime Minister Andrej Babiš finished third and won none of the seats it contested. It is the first time in the country’s history that governing parties failed to win a single seat in a senatorial election.

STAN and ODS took most of the contested seats. The Senate election covers one-third of the 81-member chamber every two years. Results were reported by the Associated Press and confirmed by Czech election authorities.

The outcome weakens the position of Babiš’s government in the upper house, where the opposition already held a majority. ANO had entered the vote as the largest party in the Chamber of Deputies following earlier parliamentary elections. The Senate result shows limited support for the governing coalition among the voters who turned out for the partial renewal.

Babiš has not immediately commented on the specific seat totals. The election occurred against a background of debates over the government’s handling of the economy and foreign policy. Opposition parties framed the vote as a check on the executive.

The Czech Senate has the power to delay legislation and to approve certain appointments and treaties. A stronger opposition majority there limits the government’s ability to pass measures without broader consensus. The result adds to a pattern of mixed electoral signals for ANO since it returned to government.

Final official tallies and turnout figures were released by the Czech Statistical Office. The election marks a clear setback for the parties currently in power in the lower house.