Christian Democrats big winners in elections to one third of Senate seats

The Christian Democrats were the biggest winners in the second round of elections to one third of the seats in the Czech Senate, with candidates with their backing taking nine mandates. The party took five of seven Senate places in Moravia, its traditional power base.

The leaders of the government coalition, the Social Democrats, did poorly, with only two wins. Well-known Social Democrats such as Zdeněk Škromach and Jan Mládek were defeated, with the latter announcing after Saturday afternoon’s vote count that he would tender his resignation as minister for industry and trade. ANO, the other party in the coalition, took three seats.

The Social Democrats remain the biggest grouping in the Senate while the three government parties together have a constitutional majority (three-fifths of mandates) in the upper house.

The Civic Democrats and the Mayors group took three seats each in the second round of voting on Friday and Saturday, while TOP 09 and the North Bohemians party secured two apiece. The Communist Party did not win any seats.

Turnout was 15.4 percent, the lowest rate since the establishment of the Senate two decades ago.

Author: Ian Willoughby