The Senate caucus of the [[STAN]] movement again elected Jan Sobotka as chairman. The caucus elected as deputy chairs Miroslav Plevný, who holds the role for the first time, and, again, Zbyněk Linhart; both defended their Senate seats this year. According to Sobotka, the caucus will again have 18 members and will remain the second strongest faction of the Senate of the Czech Republic after the caucus of ODS and TOP 09.[1][2]
Marek Ošťádal, senator for the Litovel area, who left the STAN movement in summer 2026 and defended his seat for the movement 24/7, remains a member of the caucus.[1][2]
In the election of the president of the Senate, according to Sobotka, the caucus will support the incumbent president Miloš Vystrčil (ODS) and will again propose Jiří Drahoš as vice-president. The caucus aims for Plevný to continue to head the Senate committee for the economy, agriculture and transport and for Linhart to head the committee for public administration, regional development and the environment. According to Sobotka, it has tentatively agreed with ODS that the existing committee for foreign affairs, defence and security will be split into two: a foreign affairs committee and a defence and security committee.[1][2]
Sobotka said that the caucus does not plan to increase its numbers with senators from other groupings. It does not want to disrupt the continuity of the SEN 21 caucus around Václav Láska; if that caucus cannot keep going, there is, in Sobotka's words, room for talks with its members.[1]
Sobotka was surprised that Róbert Šlachta is considering leaving the ANO caucus. According to his own words he has not negotiated with Šlachta and does not expect to. The new senator for the Vyškov area and chairman of the Christian Democrats Jan Grolich said, according to the Czech News Agency, that he had spoken with Šlachta about such a possibility roughly in spring 2026 but took it as a joke.[1][2]
Chronology
- — The Senate club of the STAN movement re-elected Jan Sobotka as chairman and elected Miroslav Plevný and Zbyněk Linhart as vice-chairmen; the club is to have 18 members and remain the second-largest group in the Senate. ČTK / České noviny Seznam Zprávy
Sources
- ČTK / České noviny — 18 October 2026
- Seznam Zprávy — 18 October 2026