Voters decide local councils and Senate seats as Babiš identifies new rival
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Voters across the country are heading to the polls today and tomorrow to cast their ballots in municipal council elections and for a portion of the Senate. These elections will determine the composition of local governments and part of the upper house of parliament, with political parties actively campaigning and analyzing potential outcomes.
The start of the elections follows intense political discussions, including a 'Superdebate' on Czech Television where party leaders discussed local and national politics, and an Aktuálně.cz interview series with parliamentary party leaders. The ANO movement, led by Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, appears to view Vít Rakušan, leader of the Mayors and Independents (STAN) political party, as a key rival. The Civic Democratic Party (ODS), led by Martin Kupka, faces a significant test in municipal strongholds such as Prague, Brno, and Ostrava.
In other news, receding water levels in the Lipno and Vranovská dams have uncovered the remains of villages and a cemetery submerged decades ago, offering a rare glimpse into forgotten history. Meanwhile, a dispute over a linden tree has led to the cancellation of municipal elections in the village of Krchleby u Kostelce nad Orlicí, with a ministerial official now set to lead the community.