‘Czech Trump’ Wins Polls as Europe Swings to Right

Date: 22 October 2017 - 20:55

News ID: ۴۵۵۵۲

PRAGUE (Dispatches) -- A billionaire populist dubbed the "Czech Trump” clinched victory in the Czech Republic's election on Saturday, while Eurosceptics and an anti-Islam group made strong gains.
Andrej Babis' anti-euro ANO (Yes) party won with 29.7% support (78 parliament seats), in a victory that represents a shift to the right for the country.
The party was followed by the anti-euro right-wing ODS party on 11.3% (25 seats). Turnout was at 60%. The figures are based on results from 99.9% of polling stations.
Since the president usually asks the leader of the strongest party in parliament's lower house to try to form a new government, Babis could be the country's next prime minister despite allegations of fraud linked to European Union subsidies and other scandals.
Despite the country's economic success, analysts say many Czechs who are heavily in debt or working long hours for low wages feel they have been left behind and are turning to populist, eurosceptic and far-right anti-EU parties to vent their ire.
Far-right and far-left anti-EU parties made gains in the fragmented vote that put nine parties into the 200-seat Czech parliament with few obvious coalition allies among them, something analysts warned could trigger instability, even chaos.
Babis insisted ANO was "pro-European” and did "not threaten democracy” in a televised victory speech in which he also railed against a two-speed Europe, while inviting all parties in parliament for coalition talks.
But most parties appeared to shun the controversial billionaire, who was recently indicted on suspicion of EU subsidies fraud.
ODS leader Petr Fiala ruled out going into coalition with ANO, insisting it will not be able to deliver on its promises.
The anti-establishment Pirates led by Ivan Bartos made their debut in parliament, scoring 10.8% (22 seats) and coming in third. Bartos also ruled out teaming up with Babis.
The far-right Freedom and Free Democracy (SPD) party of Tokyo-born entrepreneur and lawmaker Tomio Okamura scored 10.6% (22 seats) support on strong anti-EU, anti-migrant and anti-Islam rhetoric, similar to surging far-right parties in neighboring Austria and Germany.
France's far-right National Front Marine Le Pen sent Okamura a message of support before the vote.
A 63-year-old Slovak-born chemicals, food and media tycoon, Babis has vowed to steer clear of the eurozone and echoes other eastern EU leaders who accuse Brussels of attempting to limit national sovereignty by imposing rules like migrant quotas.
He favors a united Europe and balks at talk of a "Czexit”.