Municipal elections and the first round of the Senate elections will take place in the Czech Republic on 9 and 10 October 2026; on 28 September 2026 a demonstration by the association Million Moments for Democracy on Old Town Square in Prague called on people to take part in them.

Image from iDNES.cz
Image from iDNES.cz, 25 September 2026

Municipal elections and the first round of the Senate elections will take place in the Czech Republic on 9 and 10 October 2026.[1]

Call to vote at Old Town Square

On 28 September 2026, St Wenceslas Day, the association Million Moments for Democracy held a demonstration at Old Town Square in Prague, aiming to motivate people to take part in the upcoming elections and to warn against voting for populists and extremists in the municipal elections.[1][2] The event lasted about an hour and a half and the square was largely full, though it remained passable; the organizers did not give an estimate of the number of participants.[1]

Warning against a Senate majority of the governing parties

At the venue the organizers handed out leaflets in which they described the Senate of the Czech Republic as a “bulwark against the concentration of power in the hands of the governing majority”, and urged people to vote, noting that Senate elections are often decided by a few dozen votes.[1] The association's chairman Mikuláš Minář said that the Senate of the Czech Republic is one of the last institutions that do not belong to the Agrofert holding, and called for Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) to win as few seats as possible.[1][2] He also said the association would work to ensure that “by 2029 at the latest, Andrej Babiš ends up like his great friend Viktor Orbán in Hungary”, referring to Orbán's election defeat.[1] According to Minář, another demonstration by the association was to take place by 17 November 2026 at the latest.[1]

Speakers

Those who spoke on the stage included the Protestant pastor and former dissident Miloš Rejchrt, the Slovak political scientist Hana Kubátová, the former government commissioner for the reconstruction of Ukraine Tomáš Kopečný, the association's deputy chair Mariana Novotná Nachtigallová, Pavol Salai of the organization Reporters Without Borders, and the singer-songwriter Jaroslav Hutka.[1][2] Kopečný warned that Russian aggression against European countries, including Czechia, would worsen, and called on people to vote in the municipal elections.[1][2] The speakers also criticized the government's planned abolition of funding for Czech Television and Czech Radio through licence fees, and attacks by cabinet representatives on the president, the media, the judiciary and active citizens.[1]

Connection with the anniversary of Václav Havel

The event, held on St Wenceslas Day, was also meant to recall the legacy of President Václav Havel on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of his birth, which falls on 5 October 2026.[1]

Related articles: Eva Pavlová, Petr Pavel, Prague Castle, Senate of the Czech Republic

Chronology

  • — Ahead of the municipal and Senate elections, Czech Television is maintaining rules under which the leaders of five parties who are standing as candidates cannot take part in its pre-election broadcast, although four of them asked it in a letter to allow their participation; in response, Motorists leader Petr Macinka announced that he rejects the broadcaster's requests for experts of the foreign ministry to appear. → iDNES.cz ČT24: regiony
  • — Prime Minister Andrej Babiš cast his vote in the municipal elections in Průhonice and said that defending the 2022 result would be a success for the ANO movement. → ČTK / České noviny Pražský deník
  • — During the municipal elections in Moldava, police were present at a polling station because of voters who had been struck off the register and wanted to vote; the election commission did not allow them to cast ballots. → iDNES.cz ČTK / České noviny
  • — On 9 October 2026, President Petr Pavel returned from holiday in Morocco, voted in the municipal elections in Černouček and flew back to Casablanca by private plane the same day. → Echo24 Novinky.cz
  • — ODS leader Martin Kupka said on 9 October 2026, after casting his vote in Líbeznice, that the party's aim is to defend five seats in the Senate of the Czech Republic and to succeed in all large cities and in many municipalities governed by ODS. → ČTK / České noviny Pražský deník
  • — Two-day municipal elections and the first round of Senate elections in 27 districts ended in Czechia; polling stations closed at 14:00 and the counting of votes began. Echo24 Pražská Drbna
  • — The Motoristé movement did not admit some media outlets to its election headquarters; according to Petr Macinka, the reason was limited capacity. ČTK / České noviny Novinky.cz

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Czech Television Superdebate

Czech Television announced on 6 October 2026 that the leaders of the opposition parties ODS, the Czech Pirate Party, KDU-ČSL and TOP 09, as well as of the coalition Motoristé, will not appear in the final pre-election Superdebate. The reason is that they are standing in municipal or Senate elections, and the television's rules on pre-election broadcasting for these elections do not allow candidates to appear.[3][4] The television was thus responding to a letter from four leaders who had asked it to allow their participation; the leader of Motoristé, Petr Macinka, did not join the request.[3]

The candidates are ODS leader Martin Kupka for the council in Líbeznice, KDU-ČSL leader Jan Grolich for the Senate in the Vyškov area, Czech Pirate Party leader Zdeněk Hřib for the Prague council, TOP 09 leader Matěj Ondřej Havel in Hradec Králové, and Macinka for the council of the capital city of Prague.[3]

The four leaders were answered by letter by the head of the news division, Petr Mrzena, according to whom the long-applied rules correspond to the duty of balance and impartiality. The television's spokesman Michal Pleskot said that politicians standing in these elections may not appear in pre-election programmes unless their competitors are also represented, and that the rules were published well in advance. According to him, representatives of parties that are not themselves standing are welcome in the debate. The television plans to broadcast the final Superdebate on Thursday 8 October 2026; it has not yet announced the names of the participants.[3][4]

Czech Television Superdebate

Czech Television (ČT) announced on 6 October 2026 that the leaders of ODS, the Czech Pirate Party, KDU-ČSL, TOP 09 and the Motoristé movement will not appear in the final pre-election Superdebate. The reason is their candidacy in municipal or Senate elections: according to its spokesman Michal Pleskot, ČT's rules on pre-election broadcasting do not allow candidates in these elections to appear in programmes unless their competitors are also represented.[3][4]

ODS leader Martin Kupka is standing for the council in Líbeznice, KDU-ČSL leader Jan Grolich for the Senate in the Vyškov area, Czech Pirate Party leader Zdeněk Hřib for the Prague council, and TOP 09 leader Matěj Ondřej Havel in Hradec Králové. Motoristé leader Petr Macinka, who did not join the opposition's request, is also standing for the Prague council. The four leaders of opposition parties had earlier asked ČT by letter to allow their participation; they were answered by the head of the news division, Petr Mrzena, according to whom the long-applied rules are set correctly.[3][4]

Pleskot said that ČT wants to welcome to the debate representatives of parties and movements that are not themselves standing in the elections. The television is to broadcast the final Superdebate on Thursday 8 October 2026; it has not yet announced the names of the participants.[3][4]

Criticism of the president's non-participation in the elections

Eva Pavlová, wife of President Petr Pavel, criticized on Instagram on 6 October 2026 that the state does not allow voters to vote outside their place of residence. She wrote that the date of the municipal elections had for the first time been fixed by law, but that conditions for more flexible voting had not been created, either for voters abroad or for those who are elsewhere in Czechia on election day. In her words, the state should create conditions for voting for the people from whom it expects participation.[5][6]

Pavlová was responding to criticism of the president, who, according to an announcement by Prague Castle of 2 October 2026, will not take part in the elections because of a private trip abroad. Prague Castle did not state the destination of the trip; the racing driver Martin Prokop posted on Facebook a photo from the Rallye du Maroc in Morocco in which he appears with the president.[5][6] According to Echo24, Pavel would otherwise have voted in Černouček in the Litoměřice area and is to return to work on 19 October 2026 by receiving ambassadors.[6]

The president's decision was criticized by political representatives of both the government and the opposition. STAN deputy Michaela Šebelová said: “I have no understanding for it, it is a mistake and a bad signal to voters.”[5]

Criticism by Eva Pavlová: voting outside one's place of residence

First lady Eva Pavlová commented on Instagram on 6 October 2026 on the conditions of the municipal elections in connection with the criticism facing President Petr Pavel for not voting. She wrote that although the state had for the first time fixed the date of the municipal elections by law, it had not enabled people to vote more flexibly, not only from abroad but also from another place in Czechia where they happen to be working, studying or spending time. In her view, the state should create conditions for people to take part in the elections.[5][6][7]

Municipal elections and the first round of the Senate elections are held on Friday and Saturday, 9 and 10 October 2026. The president formally set their date in June, but unlike in earlier elections he had no choice: under the constitutional and follow-up election amendment, local and regional elections must always be held on Friday and Saturday of the first full week of October.[6][7]

First lady Eva Pavlová's criticism of voting options

First lady Eva Pavlová criticized the state on Instagram on 6 October 2026 for not enabling people to vote more flexibly from abroad or from another place in the Czech Republic. She wrote that the state had for the first time fixed the date of the municipal elections by law, but had done nothing to let people vote from the place where they happen to be working, studying or spending time.[5][7] She spoke at a time when President Petr Pavel was facing criticism; according to the presidential office, he will not take part in the elections because of a private trip abroad. The office called the non-participation a planning error.[5][7]

Municipal elections and the first round of the Senate elections are held on Friday and Saturday of the first full week of October. The president formally called the date in June, but according to the Czech News Agency, unlike in earlier elections he had no choice, because it is set by the constitutional and follow-up election amendment.[7] In the district where the president votes, there is no Senate election this year.[7] The Czech News Agency reports that politicians from both the coalition and the opposition consider the president's non-participation a mistake and say he should set an example. STAN deputy Michaela Šebelová said, according to Seznam Zprávy, that she has no understanding for the decision.[5]

Reporting of donors before the Senate elections

The Úřad pro dohled nad hospodařením politických stran a politických hnutí announced on 8 October 2026 that of the 71 entities standing for the Senate, 20 did not submit the list of campaign donors within the statutory deadline: ten parties and movements and ten coalitions. The deadline, three days before the elections, expired at midnight between 6 and 7 October. Eighteen entities supplied the data afterwards; it is still missing for Koruna Česká and rEvoluce. All three independent candidates submitted the list on time.[8][9]

Failure to comply carries a fine of up to CZK 300,000 and, according to the office's member Petr Vymětal, administrative proceedings will follow. Since 2026, parties standing in elections must also report that they have no donors.[8][9] The office records 76 election accounts: 44 parties and movements, 29 coalitions and three independent candidates; TOP 09 and Koruna Česká did not file a separate candidate list and are standing in coalitions.[8] Political scientist Michal Pink called the information a marginal factor that, in his view, will not significantly affect the result of the Senate elections.[9] The first round of the Senate elections takes place on 9 and 10 October, with 27 of the 81 senators being elected.[8]

Faulty ballot papers in the Ostrava area

The Ostrava-Poruba city district warned before the elections of 9 and 10 October 2026 that some voters had received faulty ballot papers in their letterboxes. The town hall recorded complaints from two polling districts; according to the district's spokesman, there were only a handful of cases. The faulty ballot papers were delivered together with the correct ones and, given their number, they cannot be checked individually in advance, according to the town hall.[10][11]

Voters can pick up a correct ballot paper at their polling station on election day or obtain it in advance at the district office. The district has increased the number of replacement ballot papers at polling stations, and members of election commissions are to alert voters to the possible problem.[10][11] Poruba has 49 polling districts, and voters there choose the representatives of the district and of the city of Ostrava as well as a senator in electoral district no. 72. Polling stations are open on Friday 9 October from 14:00 to 22:00 and on Saturday 10 October from 8:00 to 14:00.[11]

A similar problem affects the municipality of Stará Ves nad Ondřejnicí, where some people received ballot papers with candidates from the municipality on one side and candidates from Kobeřice in the Opava area on the other. The municipality said it was a printing error by the supplier, the contracted printer of the Ministry of the Interior, and that such ballot papers cannot be used for voting. According to a spokeswoman for Ostrava's city hall, a reprint of 1,500 correct ballot papers has been ordered.[10][11]

The municipality of Václavovice in the Ostrava area warned voters about guides to filling in ballot papers that have appeared on social media and, according to the mayor, contain inaccurate information that may invalidate votes. The correct instructions issued by the Ministry of the Interior are enclosed with the ballot papers.[10] In the Moravian-Silesian Region, according to the regional spokeswoman, almost a million people may take part in the elections in roughly 1,250 polling districts.[10]

First day of voting

According to reporters of the Czech News Agency, on 9 October 2026, the first day of the elections, a fifth to a third of voters most often turned out for the municipal elections, similar to four years ago. In some smaller municipalities half of the eligible voters voted. Turnout in the Senate elections, held in 27 districts, was slightly lower. Voting went without major problems or extraordinary incidents, and the eDoklady app could be used to prove identity [12].

Polling stations were open until 22:00 on 9 October and from 8:00 to 14:00 on 10 October [12].

President Petr Pavel, whose non-participation in the elections because of a private trip abroad had originally been announced by Prague Castle, returned to Czechia on 9 October and voted shortly before 15:00 in Černouček in the Litoměřice area. For the original non-participation he faced criticism from the public and from politicians of coalition and opposition parties. Pavel acknowledged that it had been a mistake and said that a president should set an example [12].

Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO), former presidents Miloš Zeman and Václav Klaus, and the leaders of governing and opposition parties also voted [12]. After casting his vote in Průhonice, Babiš called defending the 2022 result, when the ANO movement won 1,748 seats in municipal leadership, a success for ANO, and named the composition of the new Prague leadership as crucial for the government [12]. The Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, Tomio Okamura (SPD), said the movement had fielded roughly 250 candidate lists and is aiming for its first Senate seat [12]. ODS leader Martin Kupka named defending five Senate seats as the goal [12]. STAN leader Vít Rakušan named 20 percent of the vote in Prague as the goal and a result below 15 percent as a clear failure [12]. The majority in the Senate of the Czech Republic is held by the current opposition in the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic [12].

Statements by party leaders after voting on 9 October 2026

The Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, Tomio Okamura (SPD), called the Senate elections exceptionally important given the pace at which the ANO, SPD and Motoristé coalition government wants to push through changes. He said so in the Prague district of Břevnov, where he voted in the municipal elections.[12]

Foreign Minister and Motoristé leader Petr Macinka voted in the Prague district of Smíchov. According to him, the municipal elections are an opportunity for Motoristé to extend their reach into municipal politics, and winning any seat will be a gain for the party.[12]

ODS leader Martin Kupka said about the Senate of the Czech Republic that a balance of power is needed, and called the upper house an insurance policy for democracy.[12] According to the Czech News Agency, the STAN movement wants to defend its positions in the smallest municipalities in the municipal elections and win representation in all statutory cities.[12]

First day of voting on 9 October 2026

According to reporters of the Czech News Agency, on 9 October 2026 a fifth to a third of eligible voters most often turned out for the municipal elections, similar to four years ago; in some smaller municipalities half voted. Turnout in the Senate elections, held in 27 districts, was slightly lower. Voting went without major problems, and proving identity via the eDoklady app also worked. Polling stations were open until 22:00 on the first day, and on the second day it was possible to vote from 8:00 to 14:00.[12]

President Petr Pavel returned from his planned private trip to Morocco and voted in the municipal elections shortly before 15:00 in Černouček in the Litoměřice area. Prague Castle had earlier announced that he would not take part in the elections, for which he faced criticism from politicians in both the coalition and the opposition; Pavel later acknowledged that it had been a mistake and that a president should set an example. Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, former presidents Miloš Zeman and Václav Klaus, and the leaders of governing and opposition parties also voted.[12]

Parties' goals ahead of the results

Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) said after voting in Průhonice that he would consider defending the 2022 result, when it won 1,748 seats in municipal leadership, a success for the ANO movement. From the government's point of view, he said, the composition of the new Prague leadership is especially crucial. He was not yet able to estimate how many ANO candidates would advance to the second round of the Senate elections; the majority in the Senate of the Czech Republic is held by the opposition from the Chamber of Deputies.[12]

According to the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Tomio Okamura, the SPD movement has fielded roughly 250 candidate lists; it wants to defend its positions, increase its representation and win its first Senate seat.[12] According to its leader Martin Kupka, ODS wants to defend five Senate seats and succeed in all the big cities.[12] The STAN movement is aiming for 20 percent of the vote in Prague, and its leader Vít Rakušan would consider a result below 15 percent a clear failure.[12]

Suspected vote buying in Český Těšín

The police announced on 10 October 2026 that they are investigating a suspicion of vote buying before the municipal elections in Český Těšín in the Karviná area. According to police spokeswoman Soňa Štětínská, the suspicion has not yet been confirmed, but officers have checked a number of pieces of information and are continuing to work on the case.[13]

The incident was pointed out by the Pirate Party analyst Janusz Konieczny. According to him, someone near the Těšín square was offering homeless people registered at the town hall CZK 500 for a vote. Konieczny also said that on Friday 9 October 2026 he filed a criminal complaint with the district public prosecutor's office in Karviná on suspicion of obstructing the preparation and conduct of elections; it concerns the campaign of one of the competing groups, which promised residents unlimited alcohol consumption at certain restaurants if it won the elections. According to Štětínská, police are dealing with this complaint as well.[13]

Suspected vote buying in Český Těšín

On 10 October 2026 the police were investigating a suspicion of vote buying before the municipal elections in Český Těšín in the Karviná area. According to police spokeswoman Soňa Štětínská, the suspicion has not yet been confirmed; officers checked a number of pieces of information and continued to investigate the case.[13]

The incident was pointed out by an analyst of the Czech Pirate Party. According to him, someone near the Těšín square was said to be offering CZK 500 for a vote to homeless people registered at the town hall.[13][14] The same analyst filed a criminal complaint with the district public prosecutor's office in Karviná on suspicion of obstructing the preparation and conduct of elections. The complaint concerns the campaign of one of the competing groups, which, according to him, promised residents unlimited alcohol consumption on a certain day at selected restaurants in the event of an election victory. The spokeswoman confirmed that police are dealing with this complaint as well.[13]

Sources

  1. ČTK / České noviny — 28 September 2026
  2. iDNES.cz — 28 September 2026
  3. ČTK / České noviny — 6 October 2026
  4. FORUM 24 — 6 October 2026
  5. Seznam Zprávy — 6 October 2026
  6. Echo24 — 6 October 2026
  7. ČTK / České noviny — 6 October 2026
  8. FORUM 24 — 8 October 2026
  9. Novinky.cz — 8 October 2026
  10. iDNES.cz — 8 October 2026
  11. Deník: Moravskoslezský kraj — 8 October 2026
  12. ČTK / České noviny — 9 October 2026
  13. ČTK / České noviny — 10 October 2026
  14. iROZHLAS — 10 October 2026