Governing Civic Democrats most successful party in Senate elections

Government coalition leaders the Civic Democrats have emerged as the biggest winners of elections to one-third of the seats in the Czech Senate, taking eight of the 27 mandates contested.

Second-round, two-candidate runoffs were held in 24 constituencies on Friday and Saturday after three candidates won seats by gaining more than 50 percent in last weekend’s first round.

The Christian Democrats, also a coalition party, gained seven seats in the upper house. Opposition leaders ANO – who had said Senate and municipal elections were a referendum on the government – took three of the places up for grabs.

Opposition grouping Freedom and Direct Democracy lost the one second-round contest they were in, against ANO.

The Social Democrats, who had an overall majority in the Senate 12 years ago, continued the slide seen when they failed to reach the lower house last year; the party won no fresh seats and now have only one senator.

Second-round turnout reached 19.5 percent.