Senate elections were held in the Czech Republic on 5 and 6 October 2018 alongside municipal elections, with a second round held on 12 and 13 October 2018. The Conservative Civic Democratic Party (ODS) won the election with 10 seats. Governing parties ANO 2011 and the Czech Social Democratic Party were heavily defeated, winning only 1 seat each. The Communist Party lost its last seat in the Senate when Václav Homolka failed to be re-elected, meaning the party would be without representation in the Senate for the first time in the history of Czech Republic. The election was considered the first major win for the opposition to Andrej Babiš' Cabinet. Commentators including Josef Kopecký also noted ODS confirmed their position as the main opposition party, ahead of the Czech Pirate Party.
Electoral system One-third of the 81-member Senate is elected every two years, giving Senators six year terms. Members of the Senate are elected in single-member constituencies using the two-round system.Electoral system IPU
Composition of contested seats prior to the elections Name Ideology Leader Seats Czech Social Democratic Party Social democracy Jan Hamáček Civic Democratic Party Conservatism Petr Fiala KDU-ČSL Christian democracy Pavel Bělobrádek Mayors and Independents Localism Petr Gazdík Independents Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia Communism Vojtěch Filip Pirates Pirate politics Ivan Bartoš Green Party Green politics Petr Štěpánek
List of contested districts District Incumbent Standing for reelection 2 - Sokolov Zdeněk Berka (ČSSD) 5- Chomutov Václav Homolka (KSČM) 8 - Rokycany Milada Emmerová (ČSSD) 11 - Domažlice Jan Látka (ČSSD) 14 - České Budějovice Jiří Šesták (STAN) 17 - Prague 12 Tomáš Grulich (ODS) 20 - Prague 4 Eva Syková (ČSSD) 23 - Prague 8 Daniela Filipiová (ODS) 26 - Prague 2 Libor Michálek (Piráti) 29 - Litoměřice Hassan Mezian (ČSSD) 32 - Teplice Jaroslav Kubera (ODS) 35 - Jablonec nad Nisou Jaroslav Zeman (ODS) 38 - Mladá Boleslav Jaromír Jermář (ČSSD) 41 - Benešov Luděk Jeništa (TOP 09) 44 - Chrudim Jan Veleba (SPOZ) 47 - Mladá Boleslav Lubomír Franc (ČSSD) 50 - Svitavy Radko Martínek (ČSSD) 53 - Třebíč František Bublan (ČSSD) 56 - Břeclav Jan Hajda (ČSSD) 59 - Brno-City Eliška Wagnerová (Zelení) 62 - Prostějov Božena Sekaninová (ČSSD) 65 - Šumperk Zdeněk Brož (KDU–ČSL) 68 - Opava Vladimír Plaček (ČSSD) 71 - Ostrava-City Leopold Sulovský (Ostravak) 74 - Karviná Petr Vícha (ČSSD)
Campaign The Senate election campaign ran parallel to the campaign for the municipal elections.
ANO 2011 launched their campaign on 3 September 2018. Babiš said that ANO was offering many highly qualified candidates, including Ivan Pilný and Eva Syková.
The Czech Social Democratic Party launched their campaign on 5 September 2018, focused on social issues.
The Civic Democratic Party (ODS) launched their campaign on 7 September 2018. Petr Fiala stated that the election would be a conflict of two worlds, with ODS representing the world of experienced candidates and ANO 2011 representing the world of repeated restarts.
Election forecast Media Date Others Notes Election 12–13 Oct 2018 110 1 0 0 1 2 1 5 6 Reflex 10 Oct 2018 38 0 0 0 2 2 2 4 4Aktuálně.cz 10 Oct 2018 17 1 0 0 2 4 1 5 6 Eurozprávy.cz 7 Oct 2018 26 1 0 0 2 4 1 4 5 1st round Referendum 2 Oct 201855 1 0 1 3 4 1 4 4 Hospodářské noviny30 Sep 20185 3 1 0 0 4 4 1 4 5 based on betting odds Novinky.cz 11 Sep 2018 4 4 1 0 05 4 1 3 5 based on betting odds
Campaign finances Party Money Spent Source ANO 2011 18,700,000 CZK Civic Democratic Party 15,600,000 CZK Freedom and Direct Democracy 12,700,000 CZK Czech Social Democratic Party 12,300,000 CZK Christian and Democratic Union – Czechoslovak People's Party 10,200,000 CZK Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia 7,000,000 CZK Mayors and Independents 6,900,000 CZK TOP 09 6,300,000 CZK Czech Pirate Party 5,600,000 CZK
Results
The Civic Democratic Party (ODS) was the most successful party in the first round, with 11 candidates proceeding to the second round. ANO 2011 had 10 candidates proceeding.
Notes
References