According to a fresh opinion poll, the most popular candidate for the post of Prague mayor among the capital's residents is Jan Šejnherr of the Praha Sobě movement — 27% of respondents view him positively, while only 15% view him negatively. The data comes from the NMS agency.
Second place went to STAN leader Petr Hlaváček, with 26% positive and 18% negative ratings. Compared to the June survey, both politicians' standing among Prague residents has noticeably improved.
The worst result belongs to ANO's top candidate, Jan Hušbauer — only 16% positive reviews against 28% negative. Representatives of the more radical parties fared even worse: SPD candidate Sovová received 9% positive and 31% negative ratings, while the Motorists' representative, Urban, scored 8% against 33%.
Political analyst Lukáš Jelínek notes that the results confirm a long-standing trend: Prague residents remain generally wary of radical parties, which explains the low ratings for the SPD and Motorists leaders. However, he believes Hušbauer's weak result is unlikely to hurt ANO as a movement overall. "It doesn't really matter who the leader is, because ANO voters cast their ballots for a strong national brand. In essence, it hardly matters who ends up running for the movement," the expert explained.
The other contenders — Tomáš Portlík (ODS and TOP 09), Václav Láska (SEN pro Prahu), and Tereza Nisnerová (Pirates) — show roughly equal shares of positive and negative ratings, around 20% to 20%. Their public perception has not changed significantly since June.
According to Jelínek, Šejnherr's success stems from Praha Sobě's reputation as a party that genuinely understands the city's problems. "Prague residents want to vote for parties that seem competent and knowledgeable about local issues," the analyst noted. The candidate is also helped by his current role in opposition and a highly visible election campaign, as well as voters' memories of his time as deputy mayor for transport — many believe he handled the job better than the current Pirate-led leadership.
Jelínek attributes Hlaváček's success to his image as a competent, non-confrontational politician. "His profession as an architect also helps — architects are generally seen as people who understand urban infrastructure," the expert added.
Municipal and Senate elections in Czechia will take place on October 9–10, 2026, with the runoff round of the Senate elections following a week later.
Source: novinky.cz