Opposition again campaigns for Senate elections under the banner of "defending democracy"

Ahead of the upcoming Senate elections in the Czech Parliament, opposition parties — ODS, TOP 09 and STAN — are once again building their campaigns around the theme of "defending democracy," warning of the risk of the country's "Orbanisation" under Andrej Babiš's government. Party leaders made the statements to Novinky.

ODS chairman Martin Kupka said the current election is not just about a third of the Senate's composition, but about whether Czechia will follow the path of "Hungarisation" or give it a clear "no." According to him, the Senate remains a key safeguard today against the country's slide toward the Hungarian model of governance.

Kupka accused Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and, as he put it, the "unelected ruler" of the government apparatus, Tünde Barta, of trying to steer Czechia down that very path. He claims that for the first time since November 1989, the country is genuinely fighting to preserve basic democratic principles — with journalists, Constitutional Court judges, the president and political opponents allegedly facing intimidation.

Similar rhetoric is used by former Prime Minister Petr Fiala, Kupka's predecessor as ODS chairman. According to him, the main question of the current Senate elections is whether the opposition will hold onto the Senate as a barrier against populism and the dangerous ideas of the current government.

Other parties on what's at stake

TOP 09 chairman Matěj Ondřej Havel named the defense of democratic institutions, the rule of law and Czechia's security as the key theme of the election. His party shares a Senate caucus with ODS.

The STAN movement has also been vocally criticizing the massive growth of public debt in recent days — the government's proposed budget envisions a deficit of 389 billion crowns. At the same time, the party is likewise talking about "defending democracy."

STAN deputy chair Michaela Šebelová said that beyond purely regional issues that vary from district to district, the Senate elections will be about preserving a non-populist democratic majority and protecting the Senate as a guarantee of democracy.

Expert doubts the theme's effectiveness

Opposition parties are counting on retaining their Senate majority, which allows them to send Andrej Babiš's (ANO) government's laws back to the Chamber of Deputies for revision and to block constitutional amendments.

However, marketing expert Karel Kominek is watching the opposition parties' moves with skepticism. According to him, the theme of defending democracy is hard to communicate and is unlikely to mobilize voters. In his view, the opposition is barely visible ahead of the election — overshadowed even by President Petr Pavel. Kominek attributes this to the opposition's inability to clearly articulate its positions and explain the reasons for its own existence.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz