Elections were held in the Czech Republic from 7 to 8 June 2024 to elect 21 Czech representatives for the European Parliament, alongside the EU-wide 2024 European Parliament election. This was the fifth parliamentary election since the Czech Republic's EU accession in 2004, and the first to take place after Brexit.
Electoral system The 21 members were elected through semi-open list proportional representation in a single nationwide constituency with seats allocated through D'Hondt method and a 5% electoral threshold for both single parties and coalitions of two or more parties.
Both Czech and EU citizens were entitled to vote in the European election in Czech Republic provided they had a permanent or temporary residence in the country at least 45 days prior to the elections. In addition, those eligible to vote had to be 18 years old by the second election day at the latest. Voter registration was required only for non-Czech EU citizens residing in Czech Republic, while Czech citizens were automatically registered in their place of residence. Citizens abroad were not able to vote by post or in Czech diplomatic missions, but may have been eligible to vote in another EU member country.
Background and previous election The previous elections to the European Parliament were held in the Czech Republic on 24–25 May 2019. Voter turnout was 28.72%. The parties and candidates elected were:
ANO 2011: 21.18% of votes and 6 seats (Dita Charanzová, Martina Dlabajová, Martin Hlaváček, Radka Maxová, Ondřej Knotek and Ondřej Kovařík) ODS: 14.54% of votes and 4 seats (Jan Zahradil, Alexandr Vondra, Evžen Tošenovský and Veronika Vrecionová) Pirates: 13.95% of votes and 3 seats (Marcel Kolaja, Markéta Gregorová and Mikuláš Peksa), STAN-TOP 09 joint list: 11.65% of votes and 3 seats (Luděk Niedermayer, Jiří Pospíšil and Stanislav Polčák), SPD: 9.14% of votes and 2 seats (Hynek Blaško and Ivan David), KDU-ČSL: 7.24% of votes and 2 seats (Tomáš Zdechovský and Michaela Šojdrová), KSČM: 6.94% of votes and 1 seat (Kateřina Konečná).
In October 2020, Radka Maxová resigned from ANO, and in March 2021, she started cooperating as a non-party member with the Czech Social Democratic Party (ČSSD), which had not won any seats in the previous election. In September 2022, Hynek Blaško resigned from SPD to sit in the EP as an independent.
In June 2022, the only STAN MEP, Stanislav Polčák, announced he was suspending his membership in the party, following allegations that he was a member of corruption group led by his party colleague Petr Hlubuček. A year later, Polčák resumed his membership after the Czech police decided not to charge him with any criminal offence.
Outgoing delegation The table shows the detailed composition of the Czech seats at the European Parliament as of 25 January 2024. EP GroupSeatsPartySeatsMEPsRenew EuropeANO 20113 Independents2 European People's PartyTOP 09 2 KDU-ČSL 2 Mayors and Independents1 European Conservatives and ReformistsCivic Democratic Party4 Greens–European Free AllianceCzech Pirate Party3 Progressive Alliance of Socialists and DemocratsIndependents1 Identity and DemocracyFreedom and Direct Democracy 1 The Left in the European Parliament – GUE/NGLCommunist Party of Bohemia and Moravia 1 Non-InscritsIndependents1 Total21 Source: European Parliament
Running parties The following parties and coalitions running in the European elections were represented in the Chamber of Deputies or in the European Parliament at the time of the election: PartyMain ideologyLeader(s)European partyEP Group2019 resultOutgoing MEPsVotes (%)SeatsSPOLUTogetherLiberal conservatismAlexandr VondraECREPPECREPP33.44% ANOANO 2011Right-wing populismKlára DostálováALDERE21.19%PirátiCzech Pirate PartyPirate politicsMarcel KolajaPPEUGreens/EFA13.96%STANMayors and Personalities for EuropeLiberalismDanuše NerudováNoneEPP11.65% SPD and TrikolóraSPD and TricolourRight-wing populismPetr MachID PartyID9.14% Enough!Enough!Left-wing nationalismKateřina KonečnáPELThe Left6.94%ZNČR AllianceAlliance for the Independence of the Czech RepublicUltranationalismHynek BlaškoNoneNI1.23%Source: The following parties and coalitions announced submitted their candidacy, were not represented in the Chamber of Deputies nor in the European Parliament at the time of the election, but appeared at least one relevant opinion poll: PartyMain ideologyLeader(s)European partyEP Group2019 resultOutgoing MEPsVotes (%)SeatsSOCDEMSocial DemocracySocial democracyLubomír ZaorálekPESS&D3.95%SvobodníSvobodníLibertarian conservatismLibor VondráčekNoneNone0.65%PRO 2022Law, Respect, ExpertiseRight-wing populismJindřich RajchlNoneNonedid not existPřísaha and MotoristsPřísaha and MotoristsRight-wing populismFilip TurekNoneNonedid not existGreensGreen PartyGreen politicsJohanna NejedlováEGPGreens/EFAdid not run Source: The following parties and coalitions were not represented in the Chamber of Deputies or the European Parliament at the time of the election and did not appear in any relevant opinion poll: PartyMain ideologyLeader(s)European partyEP Group2019 resultOutgoing MEPsVotes (%)SeatsČR1Czech Republic on the 1st place!Vaccine hesitancyLadislav VrabelNoneNonedid not existČSSDCzech Sovereignty of Social DemocracyLeft-wing nationalismJiří ParoubekNoneNone0.11%DSZ - ZA PRÁVA ZVÍŘATDemocratic Party of Greens – For Animal RightsGreen politicsHana JanišováNoneNone0.60%VoiceVoiceHlasLiberalismMilan HamerskýNoneRE2.38%KANClub of Committed Non-Party MembersLiberal conservatismStanislav PochmanNoneNone0.10%LANOLiberalismŠimon HlinovskýNoneNonedid not existBetter Life for the PeoplePopulismPavel OplNoneNonedid not runThe LeftThe LeftDemocratic socialismJan MájíčekPELGUE/NGLdid not runaliens.euPolitical satireTomáš FraněkNoneNonedid not existMourekLiberalismJan ČervenkaNoneNonedid not existNOSInternet access expansionZbyněk HromekNoneNonedid no existPBRight BlocRight-wing populismPetr CibulkaNoneNone0.20%FOR CZEXITFOR CZEXITEuroscepticismCtirad MusilNoneNone0.27% REFERENDUMDirect democracyVáclav SogelNoneNonedid not existSEN 21 and VoltSEN 21 and VoltEuropean federalismLenka Helena KoenigsmarkEDPVoltRE Greens/EFAdid not existSESOPensioners' interestsJaroslav PollákNoneNonedid not existŠD and SSPD-SPŠD and SSPD-SPSwiss systemPynelopi CimprichováNoneNonedid not existURZAUrza.czAnarcho-capitalismMartin UrzaNoneNonedid not runSource:
Background SPOLU The Civic Democratic Party (ODS), KDU-ČSL and TOP 09 discussed whether they would run under the combined SPOLU banner or independently. According to reports, the ODS and TOP 09 memberships preferred to run independently, while ODS leader and Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala favoured a joint candidacy as SPOLU. A combined list under the SPOLU banner was problematic due to the fact that ODS was part of the European Conservatives and Reformists EP grouping, while KDU-ČSL and TOP 09 were part of the European People's Party. Sitting MEP and ODS' 2019 electoral leader Jan Zahradil was reported to be problematic for KDU-ČSL and TOP 09, as well as many ODS members such as MP Eva Decroix. On 5 June 2023, Zahradil announced that he would not run in the election. Alexandr Vondra was also speculated as a potential lead candidate for ODS or SPOLU.
On 18 May 2023, members of KDU-ČSL voted in a membership referendum in favor of running independently. On 20 May 2023, KDU-ČSL decided at its nomination conference that its lead candidate for the 2024 elections would be sitting MEP Tomáš Zdechovský. Other candidates would include: František Talíř, the 1st Deputy Governor of the South Bohemian Region; MEP Michaela Šojdrová; Ondřej Mikmek, mayor of Slatinice in Olomouc; senator and twice presidential candidate Pavel Fischer; and MP Hayato Okamura. A decision over whether KDU-ČSL would run independently or as part of the SPOLU alliance was scheduled for September 2023.
On 30 October 2023, ODS, TOP 09 and KDU-ČSL announced that they would contest the election on a joint list.
Czech Pirate Party The Czech Pirate Party launched primaries for its election list on 30 May 2023. All incumbent MEPs (Mikuláš Peksa, Markéta Gregorová and Marcel Kolaja) announced their intention to run for the position of electoral leader. Former MP Mikuláš Ferjenčík also announced his candidacy, and received the endorsements of Minister of Foreign Affairs Jan Lipavský and former Mayor of Prague Zdeněk Hřib. 2019 electoral leader Marcel Kolaja soon criticised Ferjenčík, stating that the leader should be a respected politician. The fifth candidate was Jana Kolaříková, chair of the South Bohemian branch of the party.
ANO MP and former government minister Klára Dostálová was speculated to become the lead candidate for ANO 2011. 2019 electoral leader Dita Charanzová was reportedly undecided whether to run again. Party leader Andrej Babiš was also reported to be considering his own candidacy.
STAN Leader of Mayors and Independents (STAN) Vít Rakušan suggested Jan Farský as his party's electoral leader.
ČSSD Former Czech Prime Minister Jiří Paroubek announced his intention to run in the election with his Nespokojení (Dissatisfied) movement, with the aim of connecting parties on the left of the political spectrum.
SEN21+Volt In October 2023, Volt and SEN21 announced that they would be standing in the European elections on a joint list. The head of their joint list was Lenka Koenigsmark.
PRO 2022 On 8 April 2024, ice hockey coach and former professional player Vladimír Růžička announced his candidacy for PRO 2022.
Campaign The official campaign began on 26 January 2024, when Czech president Petr Pavel announced the official date of the election. From that date, no party or coalition could spend more than 50 million crowns on campaign promotion, and they had to create a transparent bank account within five days.
Parties ANO ANO 2011 started its campaign in Zlín, where party leader Andrej Babiš and election list lead candidate Klára Dostálová presented the party's priorities: Czech sovereignty, European self-reliance, and cutting back the European Green Deal. The party also said it wanted to curb illegal immigration, lessen the EU's impact on daily life, and oppose the adoption of the Euro. ANO stated that its goal was to win at least six seats.
The party announced its slogan as "Česko, pro tebe všecko" (English: "Czechia, everything for you"), accompanied by pictures of Babiš and Dostálová with Czech flags painted on their cheeks. ODS bought the web domain of the slogan, and posted there a manipulated version of the graphic, featuring the slogan changed to "Rusko, pro tebe všecko” (English: "Russia, everything for you") and Russian flags instead. President Petr Pavel subsequently criticized both sides for the conduct of their campaigns, calling them "unfair and dangerous".
SPOLU SPOLU launched its campaign in Prague, in the café of Činoherní klub, where the Civic Forum was established around 30 years earlier. The launch was led by the leaders of the constituent parties—Petr Fiala, Markéta Pekarová Adamová and Marian Jurečka—as well as the list leader, ODS MEP Alexandr Vondra.
The alliance restated that it was an umbrella movement for conservatives, economic liberals and Christian democrats. As its slogan, it chose "Bezpečná Evropa, silnější Česko" (English: "Safe Europe, stronger Czechia") and framed the election as a "clash between democratic parties and one-man projects". Vondra said that the alliance's goal was to win the election.
Vondra said Spolu would push for modifications to the European Green Deal. As lead priorities, he named defense and security, handling of immigration into Europe, and "kickstarting the European economy". He also said that wanted to replicate the "great Danish immigration model" and ease regulations concerning the manufacture of heavy weapons.
STAN