Jan Grolich
Jan GrolichPhoto: Lasy, 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Jan Grolich is chairman of KDU-ČSL (the lidovci) and Governor of the South Moravian Region.[2][5] According to Seznam Zprávy, in the 2024 regional elections he led the Spolu coalition, which won 40 per cent of the votes.[3] Deník N states that he has led the party only recently.[1]

Senate elections 2026

Grolich is standing for the Senate in the Vyškov area. According to Deník N, the contest there was already in the first round essentially between him and Petra Absolonová, head nurse of the Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, nominated by the ANO movement. The third candidate is Jaroslav Fládr of Přísaha. Deník N also states that Grolich is the only chairman of a Chamber of Deputies party standing for the Senate this year.[1] According to the bookmakers Tipsport and Fortuna, he is among the main favourites of the Senate elections.[5]

Campaign and clash with government politicians

Seznam Zprávy state that the ANO movement has chosen Grolich as its main opponent in the autumn elections, and recall his pre-election song Ty, hejtmane ("You, Governor") and the KDU-ČSL campaign Tohle jsme přece nechtěli ("We surely did not want this"), which criticises above all the state budget deficit.[3] Hospodářské noviny write that in recent weeks the criticism of government politicians, among them Finance Minister Alena Schillerová (ANO), has focused on Grolich. Environment Minister Igor Červený (Motoristé) reproached him in the Chamber of Deputies that because of him the opposition had called an extraordinary session to dismiss the government. According to Hospodářské noviny the party is polling at around two per cent.[4] According to Deník N, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš raised the question of whether Grolich will perform the senator's office "as a side job".[1]

On 1 October 2026 Babiš accused the lidovci in the Chamber of Deputies of stealing a recording of an episode of the podcast Sorry jako. According to Forum 24, however, ANO had first published it itself and then taken it down. On 2 October Grolich responded with a satirical video in which his internet character Pan Kšiltovka ("Mr Baseball Cap") sneaks into the ANO headquarters.[2]

Sources

  1. Deník N — 6 October 2026
  2. FORUM 24 — 3 October 2026
  3. Seznam Zprávy — 2 October 2026
  4. Hospodářské noviny
  5. Ekonomický deník