Andrej Babiš announces extraordinary congresses for ANO party

Andrej Babiš has announced that the ANO movement will hold extraordinary regional congresses in areas where the party experienced significant losses during the October municipal elections, including Prague and the Liberec Region. These meetings are intended to address regional organizational issues and are expected to take place by the end of March. During these sessions, members will have the opportunity to elect or confirm regional leadership.

Babiš noted that the municipal election results served as a clear signal that the party must address long-standing issues, such as insufficient recruitment of new members and the inability to mobilize voters during senate elections. The party has recently faced departures of elected officials in several municipalities, including Česká Lípa, Semily, Turnov, and Liberec. Notably, MP David Pražák resigned from the movement, citing personal reasons and the influence of national politics on regional affairs.

While political analysts suggest these departures reflect internal nervousness and the impact of national policy on local governance, ANO Vice-Chairman Karel Havlíček stated that the party has not seen a significant decrease in membership. According to Havlíček, the total number of members has actually increased from 2,890 at the start of the year to 3,085.