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Czech election: Billionaire Babis wins by large margin | Czech election: Billionaire Babis wins by large margin |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Populist billionaire candidate Andrej Babis and his party have won the Czech Republic's general election. | Populist billionaire candidate Andrej Babis and his party have won the Czech Republic's general election. |
Mr Babis, 63, is the country's second-richest man and campaigned on an anti-establishment and Eurosceptic platform. | Mr Babis, 63, is the country's second-richest man and campaigned on an anti-establishment and Eurosceptic platform. |
Results from more than 99.9% of electoral wards gave his centrist movement ANO (Yes) almost 30% of the vote - three times its closest rival. | |
The centre-right Civic Democrats and the far-right SPD came second and third with more than 10% each. | |
Turnout was a little over 60%. | Turnout was a little over 60%. |
Mr Babis is now set to become prime minister after coalition negotiations. | |
The 63-year-old is estimated to be worth $4bn (£3bn), making him the country's second richest man - but he has also faced numerous scandals including a fraud indictment and accusations he was a communist-era police agent. | The 63-year-old is estimated to be worth $4bn (£3bn), making him the country's second richest man - but he has also faced numerous scandals including a fraud indictment and accusations he was a communist-era police agent. |
It is not yet clear what the composition of the next government will be. Mr Babis said he will negotiate with all parties. | |
But ANO's current coalition partner, the ruling centre-left Social Democrats (CSSD), saw its share of the vote tumble to become the sixth-largest party, and has talked down the possibility of another coalition. | |
The Civic Democrats have also ruled themselves out of governing alongside Mr Babis. | |
Far-right and far-left groups made gains in the election. The largest parties now include: | |
The BBC's correspondent in Prague, Rob Cameron, said the SPD's strong performance was particularly noteworthy, as the far-right party wants to ban Islam in the Czech Republic. | The BBC's correspondent in Prague, Rob Cameron, said the SPD's strong performance was particularly noteworthy, as the far-right party wants to ban Islam in the Czech Republic. |
Liberal, pro-European parties were left massively depleted, he said. | Liberal, pro-European parties were left massively depleted, he said. |
The country's outgoing leader, Social Democrat Bohuslav Sobotka, headed a coalition formed with Mr Babis's party after a 2013 snap election. | The country's outgoing leader, Social Democrat Bohuslav Sobotka, headed a coalition formed with Mr Babis's party after a 2013 snap election. |
But in May, Mr Sobotka submitted his government's resignation because of a disagreement with Andrej Babis, who was serving as finance minister at the time. | But in May, Mr Sobotka submitted his government's resignation because of a disagreement with Andrej Babis, who was serving as finance minister at the time. |
He was unhappy about alleged unexplained business dealings involving Mr Babis. | He was unhappy about alleged unexplained business dealings involving Mr Babis. |
Speaking after the results emerged, Mr Babis said his ANO party was pro-European, despite his opposition to joining the eurozone, Reuters news agency reported. | |
He also said the EU should reflect on Britain's decision to leave the union. |