January 16, 2026
The Czech Republic’s new government, led by Prime Minister Andrej Babis, won a mandatory confidence vote in the lower house of the parliament, which every new government needs to win to govern. PM Babis’s ANO party won most seats in the October elections and formed a ruling coalition with two small political groups. The vote paves the way for the ruling coalition to implement its policies, which are expected to significantly change the country’s foreign and domestic policies. Following the confidence vote, the next task for the ruling coalition would be to approve a 2026 budget plan in January.