section_path: Background
section_name: Background
paragraph_text: Background
  
  The constitution of the Czech Republic stipulates that an election to the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of the Czech parliament, must be held every four years. The executive government is answerable to the Chamber of Deputies and remains in power only as long as it commands the confidence of the majority of its members. Article 19(1) of the constitution states that any citizen of the Czech Republic over the age of 21 years old is eligible to serve as a Member of Parliament.
  
  The 2021 parliamentary elections saw the conservative alliance Spolu (consisting of the Civic Democratic Party (ODS), KDU-ČSL and TOP 09) finish first with 27.8% of the vote. ANO finished second and liberal alliance Pirates and Mayors third. Freedom and Direct Democracy was the only other party to win seats. Spolu formed a government with Pirates and Mayors with ODS leader Petr Fiala as Prime Minister.
  
  Soon after the 2021 elections, the leader of the Mayors and Independents, Vít Rakušan, said that his party would run in the next elections as a single party rather than continue their alliance with the Pirate Party. According to internal Pirate Party analysis, the Mayors violated their joint agreement by asking their voters to give their candidates preference votes on the joint list, which resulted in just four Pirate MPs being elected.
  
  On 8 February 2023, Babiš announced he would limit his role within ANO. He would remain as an MP and the leader of the party, while Karel Havlíček and Alena Schillerová would become the primary faces of the party, with Havlíček becoming leader of the shadow cabinet. Babiš described Havlíček as a future prime minister of the Czech Republic.
  
  On 21 March 2025, SPD, Svobodní, Tricolour and PRO signed a memorandum agreeing on cooperation in the 2025 parliamentary election, on the SPD candidate list.
  
  On 31 March 2025, Stačilo! announced MEP Kateřina Konečná as election leader, former MEP Jana Bobošíková as leader for the Central Bohemian Region, and party leader Daniel Sterzik as leader for the South Moravian Region.