Czech election offers Europe an anti-populist boost

The recent vote surprised many who expected billionaire Babis to easily win, and there are other hints populism is waning in the region.

Prague, Czech Republic – The victory of the so-called “democratic bloc” parliamentary alliance over Prime Minister Andrej Babis in the recent Czech election offers encouragement to other opposition forces hoping to edge out populist strongmen in Europe, according to analysts.

The twin election coalitions making up the democratic bloc – the centre-right Spolu and liberal PirStan – won 108 of the 200 seats in parliament last week.

It means that although Babis’s ANO party will control 72 seats, the populist billionaire has few options to build a functioning government.