Czechia

Chamber of Deputies

Political system
Parliamentary system
Structure of parliament
Bicameral
IPU membership
Yes

Election results

Data on parliamentary elections, including the background, candidates, voter turnout, results and the formation of the new legislature. By default the latest election results are displayed. Select a date to view results from previous elections.

Background

Election date(s)
20 Oct 2017 to 21 Oct 2017
Date of dissolution of the outgoing legislature
No information available
Timing of election
Upon normal expiry
Number of seats at stake
200
Scope of elections
Full renewal

Candidates

Number of parties contesting the election
31
Total number of candidates
7,524
Number of male candidates
5,370
Number of female candidates
2,154
Percentage of women candidates
28.6%

Voter turnout

Registered voters
8,374,501
Voters
5,094,633
Voter turnout
60.8%

Results

About the election

Like the 2013 elections (which led to a three-party coalition government, see note), no party won an outright majority in 2017. The ANO party of the Fformer Finance Minister Andrej Babiš, s' ANO party came first, taking 78 seats in the 200-member Chamber of Deputies. The Civic Democratic Party (ODS, led by Mr. Petr Fiala) came a distant second with 25 seats. Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka's Czech Social Democratic Party (CSSD) and another party in the coalition government took 15 seats each. Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD, led by Mr. Tomio Okamura) and the Pirate Party (Pirati, led by Mr. Ivan Bartošs) entered the Chamber of Deputies for the first time, taking 22 seats each.

On 31 October, Mr. Babišs announced that he would form a minority government. Other parties reportedly refused to join the coalition due to allegations that Mr. Babišs had illegally received a 2 million euro subsidy from the European Union (EU) before entering politics. Mr. Babišs denied any wrongdoing and stated that the charges were politically motivated. On 21 November, the day after the newly elected Chamber of Deputies was convened, the State prosecutor's office requested the Chamber of Deputies to lift the immunity of Mr. Babišs and ANO deputy Jaroslav Faltýynek to allow investigations into EU subsidy fraud. On 6 December, President Milošs Zeman appointed Mr. Babišs as Prime Minister. However, Mr. Babišs’s government failed to win a confidence vote and resigned on 17 January 2018, plunging the country into a deep political crisis.

On 6 June, the President re-appointed Mr. Babišs as Prime Minister. On 27 June, the ANO and CSSD formed a minority government with a the backing of the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (KSCM). On 12 July, the new Cabinet won a vote of confidence.

Mr. Babis' minority government was sworn in on 15 December. It's the first government in Czech Republic that does not include neither CSSD nor ODS.

During the election campaign, the major parties focused on tax reform and immigration, and in particular, EU quotas for taking in refugees. ANO promised to crack down on corruption, stop deeper EU integration and reject EU immigration quotas.

Note:

Following the 2013 elections, the CSSD, ANO and the Christian Democratic Union-Czech People's party (KDU-CSL) formed a coalition government. In May 2017, Prime Minister Sobotka announced that he would resign along with his Finance Minister Andrej Babišs, accusing him of tax evasion and other financial improprieties. In late May, President Zeman dismissed Mr. Babišs and appointed Mr. Ivan Pilný (ANO) as the new Finance Minister. The three-party coalition remained in place until the 2017 elections.

Number of parties winning seats
8
Percentage of parties winning seats
25.8%
Percentage of seats won by largest party or coalition
39.0%
Alternation of power after elections
Yes
Number of parties in government
2
Names of parties in government
ANO, Czech Social Democratic Party (CSSD)

Parties or coalitions winning seats

Parties or coalitions winning seats
Political group Total
ANO 78
Civic Democratic Party (ODS) 25
Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) 22
Pirate Party (Pirati) 22
Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (KSCM) 15
Czech Social Democratic Party (CSSD) 15
Christian Democratic Union - Czechoslovak People's Party (KDU - CSL) 10
Tradition Responsibility Prosperity 09 (TOP 09) 7
Mayors and independents (STAN) 6
Members elected, by sex
Number of men elected
156
Number of women elected
44
Percentage of women elected
22.0%
Women Directly Elected
44
Other notes on the elections

Date of dissolution of the outgoing legislature: The mandate of the outgoing members expired on 26 October 2017.

Sources

Chamber of Deputies (31.10.2017, 17.07.2018)

Czech Statistical Office

Reuters

Radio Praha

France 24

Politico

New legislature

Total number of men after the election
156
Total number of women after the election
44
Percentage of women after the election
22.0%
First-term parliamentarians
125

Notes: The number indicates the number of MPs who entered the Chamber of Deputies (e.g. three first-time MPs who entered the Chamber of Deputies in 2017 have been Senators before).

Percentage of first-term parliamentarians
62.5%
Date of the first session
20 Nov 2017

First Speaker of the new legislature

Personal details for the first Speaker of the new legislature
Radek Vondracek (Male)
Date of birth: 1973
Political party
ANO
Date of election
22 Nov 2017

Historical data for IPU membership

Historical data for IPU membership
Year IPU membership
2020-09
List of values for 2020-09
No
2019-04
List of values for 2019-04
No
2018-06
List of values for 2018-06
No