The party of billionaire and self-declared "Trumpist" Andrej Babiš has won the Czech Republic's parliamentary election, near-final results show.
Multiple news agencies have reported the result could steer the country away from supporting Ukraine and toward Hungary and Slovakia, which have taken a pro-Russia path.
With the results of 99.5 per cent of polling stations counted, Mr Babiš's ANO (Yes) party captured 34.7 per cent of the vote, beating outgoing Prime Minister Petr Fiala's Together conservative coalition, which received 23.2 per cent.
Mr Babiš has labelled the result "historic" for himself and his "catch-all" political group since it stormed into national politics in 2013.
"We want the Czech Republic to become the best place for life in the European Union and we will do everything to make it happen," he told his supporters and the media.
Babiš is set to join the ranks of prime ministers Viktor Orbán of Hungary and Robert Fico of Slovakia, whose countries have refused to provide military aid to Ukraine, continue to import Russian oil and oppose European Union sanctions on Russia.
The Czech Republic has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.
The country has donated arms, including heavy weapons, to the Ukrainian armed forces and is behind an initiative that acquires artillery shells Ukraine badly needs from countries outside the EU.
"We don't like it. We have a different view of it," Mr Babiš said about the internationally recognised initiative.
The opposition led by Mr Babiš blamed Mr Fiala for the country's recent troubles, from the energy crisis to soaring inflation, and pledged to revoke his pension reform and help for Ukraine.
Mr Fiala congratulated him, saying the result was clear and "it's necessary to accept it".
His campaign focused on security amid the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
A group of mayors known as STAN, also a member of Mr Fiala's government, had 11.1 per cent of the vote, with another Fiala ally, the Pirates party, reaching 8.7 per cent.
The major anti-migrant force, the Freedom and Direct Democracy party, got 7.9 per cent while a right-wing group calling itself the Motorists collected 6.8 per cent.
Mr Babiš said his aim was to form a one-party government and he would have to seek tolerance from the two fringe groups.
He joined forces with his friend Mr Orbán last year to create a new alliance in the European Parliament, the "Patriots for Europe", to represent hard-right groups, a significant shift from the liberal Renew group that Mr Babiš previously belonged to.
The Patriots are united by anti-migrant rhetoric, a critical stance toward EU policies tackling climate change and the protection of national sovereignty.
The Motorists, who are backed by former Czech Republic president Václav Klaus, share those views.
The Freedom party wants to lead the country out of the EU and NATO, and expel almost all of some 380,000 Ukrainian refugees from the country.
"We're clearly pro-European and pro-NATO," Mr Babiš still declared after the victory.
Czech Republic President Petr Pavel is scheduled to meet with Mr Babiš and other party leaders on Sunday.
The head of the strongest political force usually gets a chance from the president to form a new government.
If he wants to govern alone, Mr Babiš's minority cabinet would need at least tacit support from the Freedom party and the Motorists to win a mandatory parliamentary confidence vote to rule.
The result was a disaster for a coalition of four far-left fringe parties led by the maverick Communists, who are openly pro-Russian and failed to win a seat.
AP
