How a Czech Business-Firm Party Shifted from Liberalism to Right-Wing Populism

Wars & Conflicts · Published 15 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Founded as an anti-corruption vehicle, the Czech party ANO 2011 has defied easy classification for over a decade. Originally a member of liberal European alliances, it has recently pivoted toward national conservatism and Euroscepticism, illustrating the fluid and often unpredictable nature of modern political movements in Central Europe.

Established in 2011 by businessman Andrej Babiš, ANO—an acronym for Action of Dissatisfied Citizens—began as a protest movement against systemic political corruption. Its structure is highly centralized, with the party chair wielding significant independent authority. Because the party's leadership exercises tight control over candidate selection and regional appointments, political scientists have frequently categorized it as a business-firm party, drawing comparisons to the political projects of figures like Silvio Berlusconi or Donald Trump.

The party’s ideological path has been remarkably syncretic. Initially, it was affiliated with the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) and the Renew Europe group, leading many to describe it as centrist, liberal, or techno-populist. However, this positioning was often contested. Babiš himself once described the movement as a right-wing entity with social empathy, and over time, the party incorporated various centre-left economic policies, such as specific tax adjustments and public sector wage increases. By 2023, the leadership began signaling a clear shift toward conservatism, both socially and fiscally.

This transformation culminated in 2024 when ANO unilaterally withdrew from its liberal European partners. Shortly thereafter, Babiš co-founded the Patriots for Europe group, aligning the party with Eurosceptic and right-wing populist forces. By December 2025, the party had solidified this new direction by forming a government coalition with the far-right Freedom and Direct Democracy and the national-conservative Motorists for Themselves. This evolution reflects a broader trend of political realignment, moving away from the party's early technocratic roots toward a more nationalist and conservative platform.

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