Alona Lebedieva: Czech Elections May Shift the Balance of Power in the EU

KYIV, UKRAINE, October 7, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- In the Czech Republic’s parliamentary elections, the populist ANO party led by billionaire and former prime minister Andrej Babiš, known for his openly Eurosceptic views, scored a victory. In theory, together with the anti-immigration SPD movement and the right-wing “Motorists for Themselves”, he could form a coalition controlling a majority in parliament. The current prime minister, Petr Fiala, has acknowledged defeat and announced his readiness to hand over power.

These elections reinforce the sense that a politician with a more critical attitude toward certain European policies may be returning to power — emphasizing national priorities and pragmatic balancing.

“The ANO party has an ambiguous reputation. In the European Parliament, its representatives sit within the Patriots for Europe group — alongside Hungary’s Fidesz of Viktor Orbán and several other right-wing forces. During the campaign, Babiš criticized the Czech ‘ammunition initiative’ — the joint program to supply Ukraine with artillery shells — calling it expensive and non-transparent. He appealed to voters weary of the war, focusing on issues such as rising prices, healthcare shortcomings, and social spending,” said Alona Lebedieva, owner of the Ukrainian industrial and investment group Aurum Group.

After the elections, Babiš’s rhetoric has become noticeably more restrained. In his public statements, he avoids categorical calls to reduce aid to Ukraine and instead stresses the need to ensure transparency of such programs rather than to cancel them. His position on private contracts also appears cautious: there are currently no signs that the new government plans to restrict them. The change in tone reflects a desire to avoid direct confrontation with the EU and NATO and to preserve the Czech Republic’s international stability.

“His new line is an attempt to find a pragmatic balance between campaign promises and European realities. The Czech Republic remains a NATO member, and even populist forces cannot afford an open comeback of the pro-Russian camp,” Lebedieva noted.

The main question now is how far the new government will go in its skepticism toward European integration. Babiš has already declared that he does not intend to “fight Brussels” in Orbán’s style, yet his cabinet may act more cautiously regarding deeper EU unity and continued support for Ukraine. The Czech Republic — which in recent years has been among Kyiv’s most active allies — may shift its assistance into a more technical, less emotional format: “we help within our capabilities.”

“Babiš’s victory is not just a domestic Czech story. It is another signal for the whole of Europe: populism, fueled by war fatigue, social tension, and distrust of elites, is once again becoming political capital. If the EU fails to find a convincing response to this challenge, Central Europe risks turning into a ‘grey zone,’ where decisions are made not by values, but by convenience,” Lebedieva concluded.

Alona Lebedieva
Aurum Group
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