Zdeněk Papoušek, nezávislý kandidát za KDU-ČSL, v Brně na ulici České ve čtvrtek odpoledne před 1. kolem voleb do senátu, 2014
Zdeněk Papoušek, nezávislý kandidát za KDU-ČSL, v Brně na ulici České ve čtvrtek odpoledne před 1. kolem voleb do senátu, 2014Foto: Marek Blahuš, 2014 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Zdeněk Papoušek (ODS) is a Czech senator for electoral district no. 60, Brno-město. In October 2026 he defended his seat in the second round of the Senate elections.[1][2]

Time in the Senate

He first served in the Senate from 2014 to 2020 and then did not seek re-election. He returned to the upper chamber in a by-election after the death of senator Roman Kraus (ODS), which he won already in the first round with 59.4 percent of the vote.[1][3]

2026 Senate elections

In the first round Papoušek received 42.08 percent of the vote and Karel Zitterbart (STAN) 24.45 percent; six candidates ran for the seat. Turnout in the first round was 49.35 percent. In the second round, held on Friday and Saturday, 16 and 17 October 2026, Papoušek received 65.78 percent (12,051 votes) and Zitterbart 34.21 percent (6,268 votes). Turnout was 18.95 percent.[1][2][4] Papoušek was supported by KDU-ČSL, ODS, the Czech Pirate Party, TOP 09 and Fakt Brno.[2] According to ČTK, the ANO candidate did not make it to the second round.[1]

Stated priorities

After his victory Papoušek said he would focus on protecting democratic institutions and on the desegregation of education, because in his district there are, in his words, two segregated schools. He also stressed the need for funding for Brno investments; he wants to vote against changes to the tax revenue allocation that would harm large cities and to support increasing the capacity of the D1 motorway, completion of the city ring road and good construction legislation.[3] He said he decided to run again in view of the composition of the current government.[1][4]

Sources

  1. ČTK / České noviny — 17 October 2026
  2. ČT24: regiony — 17 October 2026
  3. iDNES.cz — 17 October 2026
  4. Deník: Jihomoravský kraj — 17 October 2026