The Czech opposition wins big in the regional election and leads in the Senate vote

PRAGUE (AP) — The main opposition party has dominated Czech regional elections and is ahead in the first round of voting for Parliament’s upper house. With almost all the votes counted, the ANO (YES) movement led by former populist Prime Minister Andrej Babis won 10 of the 13 regions contested in the election on Friday and Saturday. The result reflected a stable support for ANO, which also won 10 regions in 2020 and nine in 2016, and a boost for Babis ahead of next year’s general election. Government lawmakers currently have a clear majority in the Senate.