Reelecting the Czech Trump: A Symptom of Europe’s Far-Right Fever

Photo via Reuters

AIYANA KAUL: In early October 2025, the Czech electorate followed the European slide to the far right. Andrej Babis – once again – has positioned himself at the heart of Czech politics through his party ANO (Yes) movement, securing roughly a third of the vote and a coalition with parties further to his right. 

Some have tried to treat this as a regional anomaly, as just another eastern-European right-turn. But a deeper look reveals something far more consequential: this is not a turn of the Czech Republic alone, but rather a crystallisation of what the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) calls “the new normal of the Western world.” The rise of Babis—the so-called ‘Czech Trump—reveals a far more serious turn of Europe to the far right.

Many parallels have been drawn between Babis and Donald Trump: a billionaire outsider turned political figure, riding a wave of populism, customising his rhetoric to shifting public mood rather than abiding by rigid ideology. Babis governed as Czech prime minister from 2017-2021, but after a period out of power he returned in 2025 with ANO polling strongly and making overtures to far-right coalition partners. His election victory (about 34.5% of the vote) surpassed the centre-right opposition, forcing a new coalition alignment. What makes this moment noteworthy is not simply Babis’s comeback, but the way it underscores how populist, nationalist-leaning politics have embedded themselves in mainstream European democracy—with credible, electorally viable leaders not relegated to the margins.The ECFR commentary puts it bluntly: “The likely new government in Prague will add one more state opposed to the EU’s green deal, and migration and asylum pact.” 

The piece also underscores a deeper point: when Czech populists win, it is not a reversion to some communist/post-communist “backwardness.” Instead, it is a movement to a ‘normal’ European country. Normality has shifted—the prevailing Western normal was liberal, internationalist, pro-European; now it’s increasingly anti-liberal, nationalist and Eurosceptic. 

This election should not be read as an outlier—it is emblematic of a broader European transformation. The mechanisms of liberal democracy remain in place, but the underlying values and assumptions that previously defined the “centre” have changed.

Nationally, what does this mean for Czechia? Babis has pledged to review Czech participation in Ukraine-related defence efforts, to challenge Brussels on migration and climate regulation and to form a coalition including the far-right Freedom and Direct Democracy party (SPD) and the right-wing “Motorists” party.

These are more than tactical shifts. They signal a clear pivot away from the liberal-internationalist stance of the outgoing government. Yet, institutional checks remain: the Czech Senate, Constitutional Court and President have constraints that may moderate the pace and depth of any radical change.

In coalition terms, Babis’s ANO joined the “Patriots for Europe” group in the European Parliament, alongside Austria’s Freedom Party of Austria, Spain’s VOX, Hungary’s Fidesz and France’s National Rally. This signals that the Czech result is part of an interconnected ecosystem of nationalist/populist parties.

For Europe, the Czech result matters because it strengthens the bloc of nationalist populist parties that have been gaining ground—from Viktor Orban in Hungary to Giorgia Meloni in Italy. The ECFR commentary warns that the Czech outcome will “strengthen the anti-liberal, populist nationalist trend…opposing the EU’s green deal, migration and asylum pact, and almost any further steps of integration.”

Globally, the tilt matters for the transatlantic project, NATO and the liberal order more broadly. If more EU states elect leaders who are critical of deeper European integration, sceptical of climate-mandates and are hesitant to commit to military support for Ukraine, then the collective posture of the West could shift—even if only incrementally.

Overall, the significance of this election lies in what it confirms: the mainstreaming of populist, nationalist currents that were once considered fringe. Will this translate into sweeping change? Probably not overnight. But the direction is clear: the European liberal order is under stress, and newer versions of “normal” are already emerging. 

For students of democracy, governance and global order, the Czech election is a reminder: when populists, they do so not merely by brute force but by fitting into the existing democratic architecture—and sometimes by using that architecture to recalibrate political norms.

The question now is how other European democracies will respond. If the Czech turn is a foretaste, then the real test will be the institutional, policy and civic reactions across Europe and beyond.

Aiyana Kaulis a staff writer for On The Record from London, UK and a freshman in the SFS studying IPOL.