The opposition parties STAN and ODS scored a convincing victory in the Czech Senate elections. Following the second round held on 17 October 2026, STAN became the leading vote-getter for the first time in six years.
The elections covered one third of the 81 seats in the upper chamber of parliament. Candidates competed in 22 districts in the second round. STAN fielded 14 candidates and won ten mandates, two of them already in the first round.
The Civic Democrats (ODS) also strengthened their position. The party captured seven seats, although it was defending only five. The Christian Democrats and TOP 09 retained all their mandates — three and two respectively.
The ruling ANO movement of Prime Minister Andrej Babiš failed to take any of the 13 seats its candidates contested in the second round. The Pirate Party lost its only representation in the Senate.
Turnout in the second round was 21,12 percent — the highest figure since 2010. Among those elected are former Chief of the General Staff Karel Řehka and historian Jiří Padevět, both backed by STAN, as well as Zuzana Ceralová Petrofová of ODS, the only woman to enter the Senate in this cycle.
The election results highlight the current balance of power in Czech politics. How will this affect the government's work in the coming months?
STAN and ODS now have more influence in the Senate, where key legislative initiatives are traditionally debated. ANO, by contrast, suffered a notable defeat in the regions where the by-elections were held.
