The 21 members were elected through semi-open listproportional representation in a single nationwide constituency with seats allocated through D'Hondt method and a 5% electoral threshold for both single parties and coalitions of two or more parties.[1]
Both Czech and EU citizens were entitled to vote in the European election in Czech Republic provided they had a permanent or temporary residence in the country at least 45 days prior to the elections. In addition, those eligible to vote had to be 18 years old by the second election day at the latest. Voter registration was required only for non-Czech EU citizens residing in Czech Republic, while Czech citizens were automatically registered in their place of residence. Citizens abroad were not able to vote by post or in Czech diplomatic missions, but may have been eligible to vote in another EU member country.[2]
Background and previous election
The previous elections to the European Parliament were held in the Czech Republic on 24–25 May 2019. Voter turnout was 28.72%. The parties and candidates elected were:
In October 2020, Radka Maxová resigned from ANO, and in March 2021, she started cooperating as a non-party member with the Czech Social Democratic Party (ČSSD), which had not won any seats in the previous election.[3] In September 2022, Hynek Blaško resigned from SPD and now sits in the EP as an independent.[4]
In June 2022, the only STAN MEP, Stanislav Polčák, announced he was suspending his membership in the party, following allegations that he was a member of corruption group led by his party colleague Petr Hlubuček.[5] A year later, Polčák resumed his membership after the Czech police decided not to charge him with any criminal offence.[6]
Outgoing delegation
The table shows the detailed composition of the Czech seats at the European Parliament as of 25 January 2024.
The following parties and coalitions running in the European elections were represented in the Chamber of Deputies or in the European Parliament in time of the election:
The following parties and coalitions have announced submitted their candidacy, were not represented in the Chamber of Deputies nor in the European Parliament at the time of the election, but have appeared at least one relevant opinion poll:
The following parties and coalitions were not represented in the Chamber of Deputies or the European Parliament at the time of the election and have not appeared in any relevant opinion poll:
The Civic Democratic Party (ODS), KDU-ČSL and TOP 09 have discussed whether they will run under the combined SPOLU banner or independently. According to reports, the ODS and TOP 09 memberships would prefer to run independently,[10] while ODS leader and Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala favours a joint candidacy as SPOLU.[11] A combined list under the SPOLU banner is problematic due to the fact that ODS is part of the European Conservatives and Reformists EP grouping, while KDU-ČSL and TOP 09 are part of the European People's Party.[12] Sitting MEP and ODS' 2019 electoral leader Jan Zahradil was reported to be problematic for KDU-ČSL and TOP 09, as well as many ODS members such as MP Eva Decroix.[13] On 5 June 2023, Zahradil announced that he would not run in the election.[14]Alexandr Vondra has also been speculated as a potential lead candidate for ODS or SPOLU as whole.[15][13]
On 18 May 2023, members of KDU-ČSL voted in a membership referendum in favor of running independently.[16] On 20 May 2023, KDU-ČSL decided at its nomination conference that its lead candidate for the 2024 elections will be current MEP Tomáš Zdechovský. Other candidates will include: František Talíř, the 1st Deputy Governor of the South Bohemian Region; MEP Michaela Šojdrová; Ondřej Mikmek, mayor of Slatinice in Olomouc; senator and twice presidential candidate Pavel Fischer; and MP Hayato Okamura. A decision over whether KDU-ČSL will run independently or as part of the SPOLU alliance will be made by September 2023.[17][18]
On 30 October 2023, ODS, TOP 09 and KDU-ČSL announced that they will contest the election on a joint list.[19]
Czech Pirate Party
The Czech Pirate Party launched primaries for its election list on 30 May 2023. All incumbent MEPs (Mikuláš Peksa, Markéta Gregorová and Marcel Kolaja) announced their intention to run for the position of electoral leader.[20] Former MP Mikuláš Ferjenčík also announced his candidacy, and received the endorsements of Minister of Foreign Affairs Jan Lipavský and former Mayor of Prague Zdeněk Hřib. 2019 electoral leader Marcel Kolaja soon criticised Ferjenčík, stating that the leader should be a respected politician.[15] The fifth candidate is Jana Kolaříková, chair of the South Bohemian branch of the party.[21]
ANO
MP and former government minister Klára Dostálová is speculated to become the lead candidate for ANO 2011.[15] 2019 electoral leader Dita Charanzová was reportedly undecided whether to run again.[22] Party leader Andrej Babiš was also reported to be considering his own candidacy.[12]
Former Czech Prime Minister Jiří Paroubek has announced his intention to run in the election with his Nespokojení (Dissatisfied) movement, with the aim of connecting parties on the left of the political spectrum.[13]
SEN21+Volt
In October 2023, Volt and SEN21 announced that they would be standing in the European elections with a joint list.[24][25][26] The head of their joint list is Lenka Koenigsmark.[27]
PRO 2022
On 8 April 2024, ice hockey coach and former professional player Vladimír Růžička announced his candidacy for PRO 2022.[28]
Campaign
The official campaign began on 26 January 2024, when Czech president Petr Pavel announced the official date of the election.[29] From that date, no party or coalition can spend more than 50 million crowns on campaign promotion and must create a transparent bank account within five days.[30]
Parties
ANO
ANO 2011 started its campaign in Zlín, where party leader Andrej Babiš and election list lead candidate Klára Dostálová presented the party's priorities: Czech sovereignty, European self-reliance, and cutting back the European Green Deal. The party also said it wants to curb illegal immigration, lessen the EU's impact on daily life, and will oppose the adoption of the Euro.[31] ANO stated that its goal is to win at least six seats.[32]
The party announced its slogan as "Česko, pro tebe všecko" (English: "Czechia, everything for you"), accompanied by pictures of Babiš and Dostálová with Czech flags painted on their cheeks. ODS bought the web domain of the slogan, and placed there a manipulated version of the graphic, featuring the slogan changed to "Rusko, pro tebe všecko” (English: "Russia, everything for you") and Russian flags instead. President Petr Pavel subsequently criticized both sides for the conduct of their campaigns, calling them "unfair and dangerous".[33]
The alliance restated that it was an umbrella movement for conservatives, economic liberals and Christian democrats. As its slogan, it chose "Bezpečná Evropa, silnější Česko" (English: "Safe Europe, stronger Czechia") and framed the election as a "clash between democratic parties and one-man projects". Vondra said that the alliance's goal is to win the election.[34][35]
Vondra said Spolu would push for modifications of the European Green Deal.[34] As lead priorities he named defense and security, handling of immigration into Europe, and "kickstarting the European economy". He also said that wanted to replicate the "great Danish immigration model" and ease regulations concerning the manufacture of heavy weapons.[36]
STAN
Mayors and Independents launched their campaign before all other parties, with their leader Vít Rakušan starting a series of "Debates without censorship" in January, where he visited less-developed regions, mostly in the former Sudetenland, to answer questions from the local public.[37][38][39] Some experts criticized these events, accusing Rakušan of using low-income people to gain popularity. Others praised Rakušan for creating opportunities for dialogue.[40][41]
While the early debates were not a formal part of the European election campaign, they were financed from STAN's EP election funds from the beginning.[42] In April, Rakušan passed the debates to the leaders of STAN's candidate list, Jan Farský and Danuše Nerudová.[43][44] The debates also moved to larger cities like Brno.[45][46]
As STAN's priorities, Nerudová mentioned fighting climate change, lowering the minimum voting age to 16, making the EU more accessible for young people, and preventing illegal migration.[47] She also said they want to focus on lowering economical inequality between regions, help Europe’s competitiveness and lowering bureaucracy.[48]
Pirates
The Pirates launched their campaign on the last day of April, stating that they intend to focus on digitalization, improving quality of life, and fighting corruption and tax havens. The also mentioned support for abortion rights and LGBTQ+ rights, as well as lowering the inequality between EU regions. The party also proposed "fixing" the European Green Deal. As their goal, the party stated that it wants to win three to four seats.[49][50]
Both party leader Ivan Bartoš and list leader Marcel Kolaja criticised the political regimes in Hungary and Slovakia, calling their prime ministers "merchants of fear" who "push society towards the east". They also criticised some Czech parties, like ODS, for keeping ties with parties within the ECR faction.[51]
SPD and Tricolour
SPD began its campaign as a series of meetings with voters and supporters, at which the party presented its candidates and manifesto.[52] The meetings were intended to gain traction for a planned demonstration on Prague's Wenceslas Square, however, only about 1,000 people attended, far less than similar demonstrations in the two previous years.[53] During the speech of SPD leader Tomio Okamura at the demonstration, opponents threw eggs at him, and were subsequently arrested.[54]
The leaders of the two parties said their goal was to attract dissatisfied ODS voters, arguing that ODS had abandoned its Eurosceptic policies and switched to support for the Green Deal, EU migration pact and euro adoption. SPD said they want to attract voters by focusing on an economic issues, and by giving the lead spot to economist and former Svobodní MEP Petr Mach.[55][56]
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