Czech opposition parties losing members, TOP 09 shrinking fastest

Almost all of Czechia's opposition parties are shedding members — the sole exception being STAN. TOP 09 is haemorrhaging members faster than anyone else: since 2024, the party has lost 354 of its 2,091 members, a drop of 17 percent.

According to party spokesman Jakub Tomek, the decline stems from a mix of natural attrition, deaths, and waning interest among newcomers in joining the party. This year, however, TOP 09 has focused less on recruiting new members and more on drawing supporters into politics through election candidacies. "Several dozen people applied who were interested in running as candidates or joining the party, and many of them got involved in preparations for the municipal elections or helped strengthen candidate lists," Tomek said.

Christian Democrats lose members but attract new ones

Jan Hrolich, the new chairman of the Christian Democrats (KDU-ČSL), marking his first hundred days in office, announced that 239 new members have joined the party since its congress — more than in 2024 and 2025 combined. The South Moravian governor and Senate candidate has promised to "draw a thick line" under the party's past and steer it in a noticeably new direction.

Still, the party's overall membership trend looks far less encouraging. The Christian Democrats had 18,763 members in 2024, 18,058 a year later, and now count just 17,443. Party spokeswoman Iva Petrusová said the main causes of the decline are natural attrition due to age and death, with unpaid membership dues or voluntary departures playing a smaller role. Political scientist Ladislav Cabada noted that, in effect, the Christian Democrats are gradually dying out as a party in terms of membership.

Source: novinky.cz