"Self-described Trumpist' Andrej Babis has campaigned on pledges of welfare and halting military aid to Ukraine. Czechs are casting their ballots in a two-day general election, in which the party of populist billionaire Andrej Babis is expected to garner the most votes but not secure a majority, raising concerns that Ukraine ally the Czech Republic may draw closer to pro-Russian European Union countries Hungary and Slovakia."
"Polling stations opened at 12:00 GMT and will close at 20:00 GMT on Friday, before reopening from 06:00 to 12:00 GMT on Saturday, with the results expected on Saturday evening. list of 4 itemsend of list Even if Babis's ANO (Yes) party tops the vote, it will almost certainly have to negotiate a coalition. Analysts say the likely contender is the far-right opposition SPD movement, which is backed by about 12 percent of voters."
"Babis, 71, has campaigned in the EU and NATO member of about 11 million people on pledges of welfare and halting military aid to Ukraine. The current centre-right coalition government of Prime Minister Petr Fiala, 61, has provided extensive humanitarian and military aid to Ukraine, but many voters blame it for ignoring problems at home. A change is necessary. The Czech Republic must be more autonomous, it must not be just a messenger boy for Brussels, 68-year-old geographer Jaroslav Kolar told the AFP news agency."
"Chairman of the opposition ANO (Yes) movement Andrej Babis speaks to the media after casting his ballot in the general election at a polling station in Ostrava, Czech Republic, on October 3, 2025 [Petr David Josek/AP] Babis was critical of some EU policies while he was prime minister from 2017 to 2021, and is on good terms with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Slovakia's Robert Fico, who have maintained strong ties with Moscow despite its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine."
Andrej Babis, a self-described 'Trumpist' and chairman of the ANO (Yes) movement, campaigned on pledges of expanded welfare and halting military aid to Ukraine. Voting takes place over two days, with polling stations open Friday 12:00–20:00 GMT and Saturday 06:00–12:00 GMT, and results expected Saturday evening. ANO is expected to top the vote but not win a majority, making coalition talks likely, with analysts naming the far-right SPD as a potential partner. The current centre-right government has provided extensive humanitarian and military aid to Ukraine, while many voters blame it for neglecting domestic issues.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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