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European Election ResultsThe second-lowest turnout among all EU countries in EP elections (18.2%) led tosurprising outcomes when 3 parties ended with neck-and-neck results and 4MEPs. For the first time in history, a party other than the traditional two left- andright-wing parties won the election, leaving former leaders behind. The victory ofANO 2011, the movement of billionaire Andrej Babiš, was expected but withmuch a higher margin.

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M r . Bab i š h i m s e l f , w h oannounced even before theresults were published, that hisp a r t y w o u l d n o t b e a ssuccessful as it had wantedand that the campaign did notgo well, indirectly confirmedc e r t a i n d is i l l u s io nm e n t .Second place for TOP 09further strengthens its positionas the wannabe leader of theright political spectrum, whereTOP 09 replaced ODS, theleading conservative right-wing party of the last 20 years.

The third place Social Democrats(ČSSD) have a lot of food for thought, asthey failed to pass the second electionsin a row with flying colors and PrimeMinister Bohuslav Sobotka willtherefore have to watch his back again(he survived a first party-putch rightafter the last elections).

The Christian Democrats (KDU-ČSL)are the only party from the previousEuropean Parliament to increase theirnumber of MEPs, from 2 to 3. Thissuccess confirms their progress to astable centrist position amongparliamentary parties. Interesting arethe results of the Communists, who lost1 MEP and have now only 3representatives in the EP. Theconservative ODS (member of ECR) wasunable to prevent its weakening, andwith 2 MEPs (from the previous 9) theparty could not talk about success,although its chairman Petr Fiala said hewould be happy with 7.5% of votes,which the party achieved. Trulyunexpected is the first ever member ofparliament representing the FreeCitizens Party (SSO), the euroscepticand in economic issues ultra-liberalpolitical group now competing for thesimilar electorate as the Conservatives.Despite its traditional euroscepticrhetorics, ODS has made a lot ofcompromises with the EU“mainstream”, such as the Lisbon Treatyvote or eurozone accession scenarios,making it less credible whencampaigning against the same issuesnow. Last but not least, the Piratesmissed only 0.22 % (3,855 votes) to havethe first MEP. Both Pirates and Greens(3,77 %) plan to contest the 5%threshold for entering the EP by theConstitutional Court.

The results show rapid changes going onfor the Czech political landscape. Thetwo traditionally dominant parties -

ODS and ČSSD - are quickly losinginfluence in favor of a three-partysystem (ANO, ČSSD, TOP 09) withcomparable support. They will have totry hard to hold onto their positionsduring the upcoming municipalelections. Municipal politics is the lastremaining “bastion” of ODS power andtheir popular mayors and towncouncilors are now hesitating betweenloyalty to a crippled party brand andtheir own political futures. The ascent ofANO is not as decisive as expected andthe party will have to mobilise its half-hearted voters more efficiently if itwants to dominate the Czech politicalscene. As a lesson learned from theelections, Mr Babiš decided not to formcandidate lists everywhere, but insteadfocus on big towns and cities wherecarefully selected popular local leaderswill compete on the top positions of thelists.

Out of 21 MEPs, 9 are representingparties that had not been previouslypresent in the European Parliament. Sixof the Czech MEP contingent are re-elected politicians: Jan Zahradil(ODS/ECR) has been one of the mostprominent eurosceptic voices in the EPand Czech politics for the last 10 years,and Evžen Tošenovský (ODS/ECR) wasthe former popular governor of theOstrava region. Others re-elected areSocial Democrats (S&D) Olga SehnalovaPavel Poc and Miroslav Ransdorf andJiří Maštálka from the Communist Party(GUE-NGL). Leaders of ANO 2011 andnew MEPs Pavel Telička and Petr Ježekused to run together a lobbying firm inBrussels. The TOP 09 MP contingent iscomposed from well-knownpersonalities of the Czech political sceneled by former Minister of Justice JiříPospíšil, ex-vice governor of NationalBank Luděk Niedermayer, journalist andanti-Communist and anti-Russianactivist Jaromír Štětina and leader of the

independent mayors’ movement andlawyer Stanislav Polčák. The eccentricleader of the CSSD candidate list,sociologist Jan Keller, is the opinionleader of the still-marginal movement ofthe radical anti-capitalist left. Theeurosceptic Free Citizens’ Party leaderPetr Mach served for many years asdirector of liberal economic think tankfounded by former President VaclavKlaus. Although he claims to have fallenout with Mr Klaus due to his nationalismand pro-Russian sentiment, he says hismodel is Nigel Farage.

New Czech representation is certainlymore pro-EU than the previous, andthree winning parties alreadyannounced they want to be much moreactive in European policy-making andits presentation back home. It is,however, yet unclear whether the Czechpolitical parties will be able to findcommon ground and cooperate more inBrussels among themselves, not onlywith their political groups.

The election stalemate did not enlightenthe choice of the next CzechCommissioner, with both ČSSD andANO still trying to push through theircandidates - economist Pavel Mertlík orformer EU Commissioner, lobbyist anddiplomat Pavel Telička (elected MEP).The third coalition party, the ChristianDemocrats, offered current MEP ZuzanaRoithova as a compromise candidate. Asmembers of the EPP (together with TOP09), they might use their fraction’sinfluence to push their candidate orother successful Czechs already workingon high posts in the Commission (suchas Ladislav Miko from DG SANCO). Thechances of current Commissioner Füle(nominated by Social Democrats in2009) to be reappointed and receive abetter portfolio decreased after PMSobotka criticised EC policies during theUkraine crisis.

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European Election Results

We help you navigate Czech as well as European politics.

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CEC NEWS

The head of CEC Government Relations Prague, Václav Nekvapil, was honoured to chair thedebate of Czech MEP candidates, organised by the Association for International Affairs andPrague Twenty, leading political and economic think tanks.

Participants included 5 candidates, economic experts each representing one political groupfrom Parliament. Luděk Niedermayer, TOP 09 (EPP), Oldřich Vlasák, ODS (ECR), Jiří Šír,ANO 2011 (ALDE), Libor Rouček, ČSSD (S&D), and Miroslav Ransdorf, KSČM (GUE/NGL).The agenda included some of the topics discussed in the European Parliament and othermatters that have a strong impact on the business environment. These included TTIP, acommon consolidated tax base of corporate income tax, gender balance, interchange fees andthe control of non-legislative acts of the European Commission.

The discussion was attended by approx. 60 people from both the general public and experts.

Photo – AMO

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In the Pipeline

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The last plenary session of the Chamber of Deputies before the summer break will beheld between June 10th and 20th.

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The new European Parliament will hold its first constituent session between July 1stand 3rd. The session will continue between July 14th and 17th. At the session the nameof the new EU Commission president should be confirmed.

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Enjoy your summer, politics will return in September!

MEP Guides 2014

CEC Government RelationsHellichova 1118 00 Prague 1Tel (+420) 222-360-062Mobile: (+420) 604-849368E-mail: vn@cecgr.com

In Prague and in Warsaw CEC Government Relations has gathered first-handinformation about newly elected MEPs from the Czech Republic and fromPoland.

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