Poll: Senator Láska is Prague's most recognisable politician, but voters are in no rush to back him

Senator Marek Láska has emerged as the most recognisable politician among Prague's candidates ahead of the upcoming elections — though recognition hasn't translated into support. According to a September survey by the NMS agency, only one in ten Prague voters is ready to back his movement.

When respondents were asked, without prompting, to name Prague's political leaders, 34% of Praguers mentioned Láska, while 33% named movement leader Portlík. Political analyst Tereza Friedrichová of NMS explains Láska's high recognition through two factors: he has served as a senator for years and therefore didn't have to start his campaign from scratch, and the "Praha a Láska" campaign has been actively promoting him, keeping him constantly in the public eye.

Political scientist Lukáš Jelínek adds that Láska doesn't have a strong party behind him, which forces him to promote himself far more actively — in person or through billboard advertising. So far, however, that visibility hasn't converted into real electoral support.

Who else stuck in voters' minds

Petr Hlaváček (STAN) and Adam Scheinherr (Praha Sobě) were named unprompted by about 30% of respondents. Tereza Nisledová (Piráti) and Jan Hušbauer (ANO) were recalled by roughly 20% of Praguers. Klára Sovová of the Motoristé movement was mentioned by 13% of voters, while Milan Urban, who heads the SPD list, was named by 11%.

The poll also revealed an interesting detail: supporters of most parties — with the exception of Praha Sobě, Spolu and SEN 21 — more often recall candidates from rival parties rather than their own. Among STAN supporters, Láska was mentioned more frequently; among Pirate voters, Scheinherr came up more often; and among ANO supporters, Portlík was named most.

According to Jelínek, the generally modest recognition levels reflect a shortage of standout figures in Prague politics. "Many parties have changed leaders, or their lists are now headed by different people than in the last election. As a result, voters simply can't recall candidates off the top of their heads," he explained.

The picture shifts once names are prompted

When respondents were given specific names and asked whether they recognised them, the ranking shifted somewhat. Petr Hlaváček topped the "prompted recognition" list, known to 72% of those surveyed. He was followed by Portlík (71%), Scheinherr (68%), Láska (67%) and Hušbauer (65%). Nisledová trailed only slightly behind (64%), while Urban (59%) and Sovová (58%) closed out the list.

Compared to NMS's June poll, Portlík saw the biggest gain — the share of people who didn't recognise him fell from 37% to 29%. Nisledová also improved noticeably (non-recognition dropped from 42% to 36%), as did Hlaváček (from 32% to 28%). The other list leaders saw more modest gains in recognition.

Local government elections and the second round of the Senate election will be held in Czechia on 9 and 10 October 2026, with the Senate run-off taking place a week later.

Source: novinky.cz