PM Petr Fiala to quit as party leader after election defeat
Prime Minister Petr Fiala announced on social media that he will not run for re-election as chairman of the Civic Democratic Party (ODS). He informed the wider party leadership of his decision on Tuesday at a meeting at the ODS headquarters in Prague.
Prime Minister Petr Fiala has led the Civic Democrats for longer than the party's founder, former President Václav Klaus. He was first elected in January 2014. Seven years later, he became the national leader of the SPOLU government coalition (ODS, TOP 09, and KDU-ČSL), which he led to victory in the elections and into government in October 2021.
After SPOLU's election defeat on Saturday, the Czech prime minister announced on social media that he will not seek re-election:
"Politics also involves responsibility. The SPOLU coalition did not win the elections. As its leader, I bear responsibility for the result. That is why I have decided not to run for ODS chairman again, and I informed the members of the executive board of my decision on Tuesday. Thank you all for your support, it has been a great ride," Fiala said on X.
The cabinet is now being formed by ANO leader Andrej Babiš, together with the SPD and Motorists movements. ODS, like the other two parties in the SPOLU coalition, is considering what form the partnership should take, if it is to continue at all. Part of the party sees the alliance as an obstacle to the Civic Democrats being transparent and winning back voters. Possible candidates for the party leadership include first deputy chairman Martin Kupka and South Bohemian governor Martin Kuba, who is a long-time opponent of Fiala.
Part of the party expects other party members to take responsibility for the election results. Senator and former Governor Martin Červíček (ODS) believes that Finance Minister Zbyněk Stanjura, who led the SPOLU campaign in the Moravian-Silesian Region but failed to secure a parliamentary seat, should clarify whether he intends to remain in office. "If the first vice-chairman is not a member of parliament, I assume that he will somehow tell us his idea of how he actually wants to end that position, perhaps at the congress that will take place next year," Červíček told reporters before the meeting of the ODS's broader leadership.
According to the Civic Democrats, remaining in the SPOLU project is also up for discussion, especially in light of the upcoming Senate and municipal council elections scheduled in Czechia next year. Voters will elect a new composition for one-third of the Senate and for municipal councils in 2026. However, Miloš Vystrčil, the president of the upper chamber, will remain in the Senate after the elections as one of the highest constitutional officials, with his mandate lasting until 2028.
The ODS congress, where a successor to party leader Fiala will be chosen, has been scheduled by the Civic Democrats for January 17–18, 2026. Observers expect further changes in the party leadership to take place at the congress. The future of the SPOLU coalition project will also be on the table.
