Hřib replaces Bartoš as leader of the Czech Pirate Party

Former Prague mayor and current deputy mayor Zdeněk Hřib has been elected as the new leader of the Czech Pirate Party, defeating ex-senator Lukáš Wagenknecht. Hřib aims to reform the party to strengthen its position in the upcoming parliamentary elections. He envisions the Pirates as a strong, centrist-liberal force in the Chamber of Deputies, where they currently hold four seats. Hřib succeeds Ivan Bartoš, who led the party for nearly 15 years but resigned after recent electoral setbacks. In a symbolic gesture, Bartoš wished Hřib success and handed him the party’s “helm” at the leadership transition.