According to Czech News Agency reporting from October 2026, KDU-ČSL is among the opposition parties. Its chairman is Jan Grolich, who is standing in the 2026 Senate elections in the Vyškov area.[1]
Czech Television announced on 6 October 2026 that Grolich will not appear in the final pre-election Superdebata, because he is a candidate and Czech Television's rules do not allow candidates to take part. Czech Television said the same to the chairmen of ODS, the Czech Pirate Party and TOP 09 and to the governing coalition movement Motoristé, who are likewise standing in elections to local councils or the Senate. The final Superdebata is planned for Thursday 8 October 2026, and representatives of parties that are not themselves standing are to appear in it. [2] Czech Television plans to broadcast the final Superdebata on Thursday 8 October 2026. [2] Grolich was among the chairmen who asked the broadcaster to allow them to take part.[1] According to its spokesman Michal Pleskot, Czech Television said that another member of the leadership who is not standing in the elections can represent the party in the debate. [2] The Czech Television spokesman Michal Pleskot said that candidate politicians may not appear in pre-election programmes unless their competitors are also represented, and that these rules had been published well in advance. [3] The letter with this request was signed by the chairmen of ODS, the Czech Pirate Party, KDU-ČSL and TOP 09. The Czech Television spokesman Michal Pleskot said that the parties' positions can also be represented with dignity by other members of the leadership and by other prominent figures. [2] The letter was signed by the chairmen of ODS, the Czech Pirate Party, KDU-ČSL and TOP 09, and it was answered by Petr Mrzena, director of Czech Television's news division, according to whom the long-applied pre-election rules are set correctly. [2]
The Czech Television spokesman Michal Pleskot said that representatives of parties that are not themselves standing in the elections are welcome in the Superdebata, and that the parties' positions can also be represented by other members of the leadership. [2]
Chronology
- — Czech Television announced that the chairmen of ODS, the Czech Pirate Party, KDU-ČSL, TOP 09 and Motoristé will not appear in the final pre-election Superdebata, because they are standing in municipal or Senate elections, in which the broadcaster's rules do not allow such an appearance. → Czech News Agency / České noviny FORUM 24
Sources
- ČTK / České noviny — 6 October 2026
- FORUM 24 — 6 October 2026
- Lidovky.cz — 6 October 2026