Czech Senate & Locals - October 10-11/17-18 2014

[Georg Ebner]

I haven't found anything here about the elections on October 10&11 plus 17&18.

[Hash]

The Senate has 81 members, elected in a two-round system in single-member districts for 6-year terms and renewed by thirds every other year. The Senate is toothless and useless, and, as such, turnout in senatorial elections is often hilariously low and senatorial elections are also a chance for huge middle-finger votes to whoever is in power.

The seats up this year were last held in 2008, when the now-moribund ODS was in power, so the currently-governing and perennially incompetent ČSSD swept nearly everything.

Current standings:
ČSSD 44 seats - 21 up
ODS 15 seats - 3 up
KDU-ČSL 5 seats - 0 up
TOP 09-STAN and local allies 4 seats - 0 up
ex-ČSSD 3 seats - 2 up
Independents 3 seat - 0 up
KSČM 2 seats - 1 up
S.cz 2 seats - 0 up
SPOZ 1 seat - 0 up
Pirates 1 seat - 0 up
Greens 1 seat - 0 up

Local elections were last held in 2010. Most councillors are independents in the small towns, but there are partisan races in major cities. In 2010, TOP 09 gained Prague from the ODS. Brno, Liberec and Ostrava have ČSSD mayors, while Olomouc and Plzeň are held by the ODS.

Needless to say, these senate seats and local councils were last elected before the sh**t hit the fan in 2013 and the subsequent realignment. So, lots of unknowns here and probably lots of wild swings on the horizon.

[Hash]

Well, my long post just got eaten up, but the first round finished today.

Results for the Senate here: http://ihned.cz/volby/ and here http://volby.cz/pls/senat/se2?xjazyk=EN&xdatum=20141010
I don't have numbers, but a few CSSD incumbents defeated by the first round but still a lot at stake next week.

In Prague local elections, ANO seems to be narrowly ahead of TOP 09, with the centrist KDU-CSL/Green coalition in third ahead of the ODS. CSSD in fifth, with barely over 10%. ANO ahead of CSSD in Olomouc (23.4% to 18.7% on final results), Ostrava, Brno and Plzeň with a local party ahead in Liberec. Numbers here: http://www.volby.cz/pls/kv2014/kv12?xjazyk=EN&xid=1

[GMantis]

Why exactly does Czechia have a Senate?

[ferenc_szombat]

Why exactly does Czechia have a Senate?

Officially it have controlling function for the lower house of parliament, non-officially it's for nothing, second-class position for ambitious politicians from municipalities (some senators are mayors too). Lower house always outvote Senate.

Pirate Party win in one small spa town (http://volby.idnes.cz/komunalni-volby-2014.aspx?t=4&o=5&o2=CZ0411&o3=554642)!



And in the hipster part of Prague win this guy for the Green party (in coalition with Christian-democratic party) -
http://volby.idnes.cz/komunalni-volby-2014.aspx?t=4&o=1&o2=CZ0100&o3=500097.