2017 Czech parliamentary election

2017 Czech parliamentary election

← 2013 20–21 October 2017 2021 →
All 200 seats in the Chamber of Deputies 101 seats needed for a majority
Opinion polls
Turnout	60.79% ( 1.35pp)
First party Second party Third party   Leader Andrej Babiš Petr Fiala Ivan Bartoš Party ANO ODS Pirates Last election 18.66%, 47 seats 7.73%, 16 seats 2.66%, 0 seats Seats won 78 25 22 Seat change 31 9 22 Popular vote 1,500,113 572,962 546,393 Percentage 29.64% 11.32% 10.80% Swing 10.98pp 3.59pp 8.14pp   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Leader Tomio Okamura Vojtěch Filip Lubomír Zaorálek Party SPD KSČM ČSSD Last election – 14.91%, 33 seats 20.46%, 50 seats Seats won 22 15 15 Seat change New 18 35 Popular vote 538,574 393,100 368,347 Percentage 10.6% 7.77% 7.28% Swing New 7.14pp 13.18pp   Seventh party Eighth party Ninth party   Leader Pavel Bělobrádek Miroslav Kalousek Jan Farský Party Lidovci TOP 09 STAN Last election 6.78%, 14 seats 12.00%, 26 seats – Seats won 10 7 6 Seat change 4 19 New Popular vote 293,643 268,811 262,157 Percentage 5.80% 5.31% 5.18% Swing 0.98pp 6.69pp New
Result of election
Prime Minister before election Bohuslav Sobotka ČSSD Prime Minister after election Andrej Babiš ANO

Parliamentary elections were held in the Czech Republic on 20 and 21 October 2017.^[1] All 200 members of the Chamber of Deputies were elected and Andrej Babiš of ANO 2011, also the leader of the resultant government, became the Prime Minister. The coalition government following the 2013 parliamentary elections consisted of the two largest parties: the Czech Social Democratic Party (ČSSD) of Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka, and ANO 2011 (ANO), led by former Finance Minister and businessman Andrej Babiš, alongside the Christian and Democratic Union – Czechoslovak People's Party (KDU–ČSL). The largest opposition party was the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (KSČM), followed by centre-right parties TOP 09 and the Civic Democratic Party (ODS).

Opinion polling showed ANO leading since early 2014, with their lead gradually increasing to double digits. ČSSD had been losing ground since early 2017, polling in the low double figures from May 2017. Polls indicated that several other parties, including KSČM, ODS, KDU–ČSL, and TOP 09, were likely to re-enter the Chamber of Deputies, with support fluctuating between 5% and 12%. Across all parties, 7,524 candidates stood for election, setting a national record. There were 37 candidates per seat.^[2]

The result was a victory for populist party ANO, which received 29.6% of the vote and 78 seats. ODS were the second strongest party, receiving 11.3% and 25 seats. The ruling ČSSD fell to 7%, finishing sixth. Both the Czech Pirate Party and Freedom and Direct Democracy received over 10% and became new parliamentary parties. Nine parties entered the lower chamber, resulting in the most fragmented Chamber of Deputies in the history of the Czech Republic. This was also the first time that neither ČSSD nor ODS won the parliamentary election. After eight months of negotiations, ANO and ČSSD agreed to form a minority coalition government, with a confidence and supply agreement with the KSČM which lasted until April 2021. This was the first time the Communists had participated in the national government since the Velvet Revolution in 1989.^[3]