Hot Issue Nr. 410
Regional Elections in the Czech Republic:
New political movement ANO becomes strongest party
 On October 7th and 8th 2016, regional elections were held in 13 of the 14 regional parliaments in the Czech Republic. No elections were held in the capital Prague. Andrej Babiš and his party ANO (akce nespokojených občanů, „Ano“ also means „Yes“ in Czech) won in nine regions, Bohuslav Sobotka and the Czech social democrats won in two regions, the Christian democrats were able to get the most votes in one region. In the Liberec region, the regional party Starostové pro Liberecký kraj (major for the Liberec region) were able to secure a win. ANO got 21,05% of votes in the whole country, social democrats (ČSSD) got 15,25%. They were followed by communist party KSČM with 10,55% , the civic democratic party ODS with 9,47%, Christ-democrats KDU with 6,30%. SPD with 4,67% and the political movement STAN with 4,02%. Various other parties reached 28,69% of the total votes. Only roughly a third of eligible voters participated in the regional elections.
 Bohuslav Sobotka conceded defeat after the elections and acknowledged that the electorate voted for a political change in the regions. The election was also a defeat for the conservative opposition parties like the ODS.
The government participation of ANO was apparently not a negative factor for party. ANO, which first appeared in 2012, could establish itself as the strongest political power in nine regions in the first regional elections they participated in. Immediately after the party´s establishment in 2012, they managed to win roughly 20% of the Czech electorate. Already at the EU elections in 2014, the ANO party became the strongest political power in the Czech Republic. The ANO also competed in the last parliamentary elections with the slogan “ANO, bude líp” (“Yes, it will get better) and were able to secure second place in this election. As coalition partner, Andrej Babiš became the new minister of finances. Babiš presents himself as a fighter against corruption and dissipation of money. This fact makes him popular among many Czechs. The 61-year-old billionaire is the owner of the Agrofert Corporation, 250 companies in 18 different countries are a part of Agrofert. Besides many other ventures, he also owns two important Czech daily newspapers and a Czech radio station. Critics of Babiš are distrustful of his influence in the media.
The regional elections are regarded as a trend indicator for the next parliamentary elections in the Czech Republic, which will be held in 2017. The results of the regional elections confirm national polls, which see ANO as leading party. The outcome of the elections also boost speculations that Babiš is planning to become the next head of government after the next parliamentary elections. Czech media sources are reporting that he wants to become the successor of Sobotka after the next elections.
Considering the competition between the coalition partners in the government ANO and ČSSD, the political opposition almost perished. The civic ODS and the conservative Top09 were still not able to surmount their difficulties after three years. Back then, their administration was toppled because of a corruption and bugging scandal. Both parties only attained single-digit results. This fact must be very disturbing for these parties, because traditionally the opposition parties gain votes in regional elections in the Czech Republic.
Die Zeit (8.10.2016)
Der Standard (8.10.2016)
Neue Zürcher Zeitung (9.10.2016)
ORF (9.10.2016)
de.wikipedia.org/Regionalwahlen_in_Tschechien_2016 (abgerufen am 11.10.2016)
Maribor, Piła and Trebnje:
Three Cities join the IRE Network
In the course of the 12th Conference of European Regions and Cities the IRE has welcomed three new members to its europeanwide network. We are glad that Maribor and Trebnje, two Slovenian cities, as well as the first Polish city in the IRE Pila, have decided to intensify their European approach and have joint the IRE platform.
 Maribor is the second-largest city in Slovenia with about 112.325 inhabitants in 2015. It is also the largest city of the traditional region of Lower Styria and the seat of the City Municipality of Maribor.
Maribor was crowned Alpine town of the year 2000 and was named Cultural Capital of Europe in 2012. The closest major Austrian city is Graz located 60 km north. Maribor now has a growing cultural and economic interconnectivity. One example is the Euregio Graz-Maribor. Maribor is represented by Mayor Dr. Andrej Fištravec.
 Piła is a city in the Voivodeship Great Poland, 80 km north of Poznań. Piła is the largest town in the northern part of Great Poland. It is the capital of Piła County. The town is located on the Gwda river and is famous for its green areas, parks and dense forests nearby. It is an important road and railway hub, located at the intersection of two main lines. With its numerous industrial plants and large-scale operations in the areas of chemistry, metal and wood processing, agriculture and as a railway junction and as the seat of a large railway repair facility, the city is of great regional significance.
Pila is the IRE´s first Polish member. A coperation between the IRE and Pila has already been discussed. The scientific project with universities from the region Great Poland will take place next year. Pila is represented by its mayor Ing. Piotr Głowski.
 Trebnje is situated in Central Slovenia in the region of Srednja Dolenjska, at the intersection of the Alps, the Dinaric and the Pannonian landscape. It is a strong transit region and strongly influenced by the highway Karawanken - Obrežje (the border crossing between Slovenia and Croatia). The diversity of the region is evident both in nature and in cultural terms. Trebnje has been an important traffic hub, as the excavation of the old Roman settlement of Praetorium Latobicorum show.
Trebnje is represented by the mayor Alojzij Kastelic.
Foto Maribor: Photo-alliance/ dpa
Foto Pila: Stadtverwaltung Pila
Foto Trebnje: Eleassar
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