Politics in Prague is a bit of a whirlwind lately. Honestly, if you blinked over the last year, you probably missed a massive power shift. The Prime Minister of the Czech Republic is once again Andrej Babiš.
Yeah, he’s back.
After a four-year stint by the academic and somewhat reserved Petr Fiala, the billionaire populist reclaimed the throne in December 2025. It wasn't exactly a quiet transition either. The 2025 general election felt like a high-stakes referendum on basically everything: inflation, energy bills, and how much money the country should be sending to Ukraine. Babiš won big. His party, ANO, pulled in over 35% of the vote, which is actually the highest total for a single party in the history of the independent Czech Republic.
The Comeback Kid of Czech Politics
Most people thought Babiš was "done" after his 2021 defeat and a failed presidential bid in 2023. You've probably heard the comparisons to other populist leaders—he's often called the "Czech Trump." He’s a billionaire who owns everything from fertilizer plants to media outlets.
But why did voters go back to him?
The reality is that Petr Fiala’s government had a rough time. They stepped into office right as the energy crisis hit and the war in Ukraine started. While Fiala was a hero on the international stage—being one of the first leaders to visit Kyiv under fire—people back home were staring at some of the highest inflation rates in Europe. Real wages dropped. People got grumpy.
Babiš leaned into that frustration. He campaigned on "Czechia First" (sound familiar?) and promised to hike pensions and stop "blank checks" to Ukraine. It worked. On December 9, 2025, President Petr Pavel—who actually beat Babiš in the presidential race two years prior—had to swallow his pride and appoint his rival as the new Prime Minister of the Czech Republic.
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The New Coalition Dynamic
Babiš didn't win an outright majority, so he had to find friends. This is where it gets interesting—and a bit controversial. He ended up forming a government with:
- SPD (Freedom and Direct Democracy): A hard-right, anti-migrant party led by Tomio Okamura.
- Motorists for Themselves (AUTO): A newer, right-wing populist party that basically hates the EU’s Green Deal and loves, well, cars.
This shift has made a lot of people in Brussels very nervous. Under Fiala, the Czech Republic was a reliable, pro-EU anchor. Now? It’s looking a lot more like Hungary or Slovakia. Babiš has already started pushing back against EU migration pacts and is far less enthusiastic about military aid to Kyiv than his predecessor.
What the Prime Minister Actually Does
The Prime Minister of the Czech Republic (or předseda vlády) isn't like a US President. They don't have total control. In the Czech system, the President handles the "vibes" and the ceremony, while the PM handles the actual machinery of the state.
They run the cabinet. They set the budget. They decide if your electricity is going to be subsidized or if the highway from Prague to Brno is finally going to be finished (spoiler: it’s always under construction).
The PM sits at the Straka Academy, a beautiful building right on the Vltava river. It’s a job that requires constant horse-trading because the Czech Parliament is almost always split. You can't just decree things; you have to keep your coalition partners happy, or they’ll pull the plug on you in a no-confidence vote.
Why the 2025 Election Was Different
For the first time ever, the Czech Republic allowed mail-in voting for citizens living abroad. This was supposed to help the more liberal, pro-Western parties (like Fiala’s ODS). It didn't. The turnout was massive—nearly 69%—but the domestic anger over the cost of living outweighed the expat vote.
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There was also this weird scandal involving a digital ID system called eDoklady. It crashed on election day. The head of the Digital and Information Agency actually had to resign because so many people couldn't prove who they were at the polling stations. It was a bit of a mess, honestly.
The Fiala Legacy: What’s Left?
It’s easy to look at the election and say Petr Fiala failed. But that’s not the whole story. He leaves behind a country that is much more energy-independent than it was four years ago. He pushed through a massive deal for US F-35 fighter jets and got the country’s defense spending up to 2% of GDP, which NATO had been nagging them about for decades.
Fiala didn't just slink away, either. He published an 80-page "State of the Nation" report before handing over the keys. He wanted to prove that he left the country in "very good shape" despite the electoral loss. He’s also stepping down as the leader of his party (ODS) in January 2026, marking the end of an era for the Czech center-right.
What Most People Get Wrong About the PM
People often think the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic is the "boss" of the President.
Nope.
It’s more like a tense marriage. The President (Petr Pavel) is a former NATO General who is very pro-Western. The PM (Andrej Babiš) is a populist businessman. They have to work together to pass laws, but they clearly don't like each other. Pavel has already hinted that he will use his veto power if Babiš tries to pass anything too radical or anti-democratic.
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Future Outlook for 2026 and Beyond
So, what should you expect from the current Prime Minister of the Czech Republic?
Expect a lot of friction with the European Union. Babiš is likely to align with Viktor Orbán on issues like the Green Deal and migration. Locally, he’s going to focus on "social security"—which basically means spending more on pensions and trying to keep energy prices low, even if it means increasing the national debt.
It’s a gamble. If he can't fix the economy, the same voters who brought him back will be just as happy to kick him out in four years.
How to Keep Up with Czech Politics
If you're trying to stay informed on what the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic is actually doing, don't just look at the headlines. Check these sources for the real scoop:
- Radio Prague International: Great for English-language summaries that aren't too biased.
- The Government of the Czech Republic website (vlada.cz): They post the actual transcripts of the PM's speeches.
- Hospodářské noviny: If you want the business angle on how Babiš’s policies are affecting the koruna.
Keep an eye on the upcoming 2026 municipal and Senate elections. These will be the first real test of whether the Babiš-SPD-Motorists coalition is actually holding together or if the honeymoon phase is already over.
Watch the budget debates in the Chamber of Deputies. That’s where the real power struggles happen. If Babi's coalition partners start bickering over spending, the government could become paralyzed faster than you'd think.
Stay skeptical of the rhetoric. Whether it's Fiala's academic warnings or Babiš's populist promises, the truth is usually somewhere in the middle of a very complicated, very Czech political landscape.