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2024 Czech Senate election

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2024 Czech Senate election

← 2022 20–21 September 2024 (first round)
27–28 September 2024 (second round)
2026 →

27 of the 81 seats in the Senate
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Andrej Babiš Vít Rakušan Petr Fiala
Party ANO STAN ODS
Seats before 5 15 23
Seats won 8 5 5
Seats after 12 15 18
Seat change Increase7 Steady Decrease 5

  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
Leader Marian Jurečka Markéta Pekarová Adamová Michal Šmarda
Party Lidovci TOP 09 SOCDEM
Seats before 12 6 1
Seats won 2 2 1
Seats after 12 7 1
Seat change Steady Increase 1 Steady

  Seventh party Eighth party Ninth party
 
Leader Václav Láska Martin Půta [cs] Robert Šlachta
Party SEN 21 SLK Přísaha
Last election
Seats before 4 2 0
Seats won 1 1 1
Seats after 4 3 1
Seat change Steady Increase 1 Increase 1
  Contested constituencies

Senate elections for one-third of the Senate of the Czech Republic were held on 20 and 21 September 2024.[1][2] The first round was held alongside regional elections, with a second round held one week later. The result was a victory for the populist ANO party which won a Senate election for the first time in history.[3]

Background

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This Senate election is the second and last election to the Senate happening during the term of Petr Fiala's cabinet. The parties in the government coalition and their allies will defend 22 out of 27 seats. Opposition parties hold only two seats that are up for election, while three seats up for election are held by independents.

Immediately after the 2018 Senate elections, two of the candidates elected as independents joined senate groups of parliamentary parties: Ladislav Faktor joined the group of ODS and TOP 09 and Jitka Chalánková become a member of the KDU-ČSL group. Only Pavel Fisher remained as formally independent.

Only one seat out of the 27 was contested in a by-election in the duration of the term, with the seat being the 32nd district – Teplice, originally held by ODS member and the President of Senate Jaroslav Kubera. Following his death a by-election was held with another ODS member, Hynek Hanza, winning the seat.

Several unsuccessful candidates in the 2018 and 2023 Czech presidential elections will have their seats up for re-election, including Jiří Drahoš, Pavel Fischer and Marek Hilšer. The term of one member of the Fiala Cabinet, the Minister of Education Mikuláš Bek, is ending; Bek however decided not to stand for re-election.[4][5]

Electoral system

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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.[6] Candidates had to be nominated by one or more registered political parties or collect at least 1,000 signatures in their constituency. There are no term limits for incumbent senators.[7]

Due to the 2024 Central European floods, the Interior Ministry took direct control of organising elections in five severely affected towns, while voting in some areas was held in tents, containers or in open-air venues.[8]

Contesting parties

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Similar to the 2022 election, several parties have decided to form more or less formal alliances in some or all seats.

Spolu

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Unlike two years prior, parties of the Spolu alliance have not signed any pre-electoral memorandum and are standing candidates mostly individually. Exception is Jiří Drahoš in Prague, who is supported by all parties in the Fiala government and Leopold Sukovský from Ostravak, whose candidacy is also supported by all three parties.

Pirates, SEN 21 and Greens

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The Czech Pirate Party, SEN 21 and the Green Party have announced cooperation in 10 out of the 27 constituencies.[9][10] Three candidates will be nominated by SEN 21, five by Pirates, two by Greens and one jointly by SEN 21 and Pirates.[11]

Přísaha and Motorists

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The coalition of Přísaha and Motorists have agreed to stand the leader of Přísaha as their joint candidate.[12]

Composition of contested seats before the elections

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Most seats up for the election, 13 out of 27, are held by the Spolu aliance, with 10 of these being held by ODS, two by KDU-ČSL and one by TOP 09. STAN lead bloc will defend seven seats and progressive pack composed of Pirates, SEN 21 and the Greens will be incumbent in two districts, with Pirates and SEN 21 defending one seat each

The opposition only holds two up the seats up in 2024, including the sole Senate seat held by SOCDEM in Karviná.

Three senators elected as independents will have their seats up for re-election, only two of them have chosen to contest the elections.

Current seats
Parties and alliances Ideology Leader Seats
Spolu Civic Democratic Party Conservatism Petr Fiala
10 / 27
13 / 27
KDU-ČSL Christian democracy Marian Jurečka
2 / 27
TOP 09 Liberal conservatism Markéta Pekarová Adamová
1 / 27
STAN and Independents Mayors and Independents Liberalism Vít Rakušan
5 / 27
7 / 27
Ostravak Local politics Tomáš Málek
1 / 27
Marek Hilšer to the Senate [cs] Liberalism Marek Hilšer
1 / 27
ANO and SOCDEM ANO 2011 Right-wing populism Andrej Babiš
1 / 27
2 / 27
Social Democracy Social democracy Michal Šmarda
1 / 27
Pirates, SEN 21 and Greens SEN 21 Liberalism Václav Láska
1 / 27
2 / 27
Czech Pirate Party Pirate politics Ivan Bartoš
1 / 27
Independent candidates
3 / 27

Results

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In the first round, 19 of the ANO's candidates to the Senate advanced to the runoff, while two others were elected outright, along with one KDU-ČSL candidate, a TOP 09 candidate, and a member of Social Democracy.[13] Twenty-two seats were to be contested in the second round.[14]

At the end of the second round, the ANO won a total of eight seats, the party's strongest showing in a Senate election, while Spolu won 15.[15]

PartyFirst roundSecond roundSeats
Votes%SeatsVotes%SeatsWonNot upTotal+/–
ANO 2011224,35028.272157,28740.2768412+7
Civic Democratic Party125,44915.81092,42423.66551318–5
Mayors and Independents87,73411.06053,49813.705510150
KDU-ČSL46,5185.86115,6354.001210120
TOP 0944,3205.59117,4574.471257+1
Freedom and Direct Democracy42,7335.3903,3180.8500000
Social Democracy28,4793.5911010
Czech Pirate Party21,1072.660011–1
Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia14,3211.8006,0971.5600000
SEN 2113,0681.6506,8621.7611340
Svobodní12,3521.5600110
Mayors for the Liberec Region8,4911.07014,2993.661123+1
Přísaha8,0991.0208,6142.211101+1
Motorists for Themselves7,6640.970000New
Tricolour7,4900.9400000
Together for the Region [cs]7,3580.930000New
Tomáš Magnusek [cs] to the Senate6,6690.840000New
Green Party6,4720.8200000
Marek Hilšer to the Senate5,6170.7105,2981.360000–1
Ostravak4,4250.560000–1
Swiss Democracy3,8590.490000New
Liberal-Environmental Party3,8550.490000New
Pro Plzeň [cs]3,7780.480000New
Bright Signal of the Independents [cs]3,6040.450000New
Czech Sovereignty of Social Democracy3,4560.440000New
Alliance for the Future3,1390.400000New
A Better North [cs]3,0390.380000New
Independents2,9400.3700110
Choice for the Region [cs]2,6260.3300000
Czech National Social Party2,5760.320000New
Mayors and Personalities for Moravia [cs]2,3440.300000New
Right Choice [cs]2,0480.260000New
Law, Respect, Expertise1,8280.2300000
Non-Partisans for South Moravia [cs]1,8190.230000New
Safe Streets1,5840.200000New
Mourek – Political Party [cs]1,3800.170000New
Moravian Land Movement1,1700.1500000
MÍSTNÍ HNHRM [cs]8330.100000New
My Homeland Bohemia, Moravia, Silesia7520.090000New
With Heart For... [cs]7430.0900000
National Democracy4840.0600000
Civic-Political Foundation ReMeK2680.030000New
Alliance of National Forces2160.030000New
New Direction [cs]1210.020000New
Hradec Králové Democratic Club [cs]110
ProMOST [cs]110
Tábor 2020110
Independents22,3112.8109,8122.511112–2
Total793,489100.005390,601100.00222754810
Valid votes793,48997.70390,60199.48
Invalid/blank votes18,7122.302,0310.52
Total votes812,201100.00392,632100.00
Registered voters/turnout2,693,03830.162,239,24617.53
Source: Volby Volby

References

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  1. ^ Gričová, Andrea (27 May 2024). "Krajské a senátní volby se uskuteční 20. a 21. září, termín vyhlásil prezident". ČT24 (in Czech). Czech News Agency. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
  2. ^ "Regional and Senate elections due to be held in September". Radio Prague International. 28 May 2024. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  3. ^ "Senátní volby poprvé v historii vyhrálo ANO. Babiš chce Mračkovou Vildumetzovou ve vedení". Echo24.cz (in Czech). Echo Media, a. s. 28 September 2024. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  4. ^ "Ministr školství a senátor Bek nebude na podzim znovu kandidovat do Senátu". Seznam Zprávy (in Czech). 7 March 2024. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  5. ^ "Bek nebude obhajovat senátorský mandát. STAN už má za něj náhradníka". iDNES.cz (in Czech). Mafra. Czech News Agency. 7 March 2024. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  6. ^ "Electoral system". IPU.
  7. ^ "Zakon 247/1995 Sb. o volbách do Parlamentu České republiky a o změně a doplnění některých dalších zákonů". Senate of the Czech Republic (in Czech). 1 January 2012. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  8. ^ "Czech vote in Senate and regional elections in the aftermath of massive flooding". Associated Press. 20 September 2024.
  9. ^ "SEN 21 – politické hnutí, Česká pirátská strana a Zelení se dohodli na společném postupu do senátních voleb v roce 2024". Facebook (in Czech). Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  10. ^ "Piráti, Zelení a SEN 21 budou spolupracovat v senátních volbách". Deník N (in Czech). 23 October 2023. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  11. ^ Václav, Láska. "Pro příští senátní volby se @hnutiSEN21 , @PiratskaStrana a @zeleni_cz dohodli na spolupráci. Když budeme hodně šikovní a trpěliví, tak se v každém volebním obvodě objeví za tyto tři subjekty jen jeden liberální kandidát. Chceme liberálnější Senát!". x.com (in Czech).
  12. ^ "Šlachtovu Přísahu podpoří Motoristé sobě". Novinky.cz (in Czech). Borgis. 16 December 2023. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  13. ^ "The Czech opposition wins big in the regional election and leads in the Senate vote". Associated Press. 22 September 2024.
  14. ^ "Czechs vote in the runoff vote for one-third of the seats in Parliament's upper house, the Senate". Associated Press. 27 September 2024.
  15. ^ "Main Czech opposition party wins most seats in election for a third of Senate". Associated Press. 29 September 2024.