Prague - The junior government ANO 2011 party, led by billionaire Finance Minister Andrej Babis, won the European parliament elections in the Czech Republic with 16.13 percent of the vote, followed by right-wing opposition TOP 09 with 15.95 percent and the senior ruling Czech Social Democratic Party (CSSD) led by Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka with 14.17 percent.

ANO 2011's candidate for European commissioner is Pavel Telicka, the CSSD has nominated Pavel Mertlik.

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The left-wing opposition Communist Party (KSCM) came in fourth with 10.98 percent of votes, followed by the junior government Christian Democratic Party (KDU-CSL) with 9.95 percent, the right-wing opposition Civic Democratic Party (ODS) with 7.67 percent, and the non-parliamentary Free Citizens' Party (Svobodni) party with 5.24 percent.

ANO, TOP 09, and the CSSD have won four members of the European Parliament (EP) each, the KDU-CSL and the Communist Party will have three MEPs each, the ODS has won two seats in the European Parliament and the Free Citizens's Party party one.

“I consider the result a draw between the three leading parties, the difference is minimal. The difference between the winner and the Social Democracy is around 30,000 votes,” said Chamber of Deputies speaker Jan Hamacek (CSSD).

“It is a big success,” said TOP 09 politician Jiri Pospisil. The fact that nationalist parties have been successful in many European countries is “very dangerous,” said TOP 09 leader and former foreign minister Karel Schwarzenberg.

Voter turnout in the Czech Republic was only about 18.2 percent according to the Czech Press Agency (CTK), the second lowest turnout in the EU after Slovakia and the lowest turnout in Czech history.

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