Czech Republic's likely next government set to reject EU migration pact

BRUSSELS

The Czech Republic's likely next government is preparing to reject the EU's Migration and Asylum Pact, aligning itself with Poland's stance on the issue, Radio Prague International reported on Thursday.

Karel Havlicek, first deputy chair of the opposition ANO party, said the country would not take part in the pact's "solidarity mechanism," which requires EU member states to either accept a set number of migrants or make a financial contribution instead.

Both parties currently negotiating with ANO to form a new government, the Freedom and Direct Democracy and Motorists, also oppose the pact.

The pact aims to establish a unified framework for asylum and migration management across the bloc. It includes faster asylum procedures, stricter border controls, and a system to share responsibility among member states through relocation or financial support.

The pact is set to take full effect in June 2026, yet opposition to its implementation is already mounting across Europe.

In the last parliamentary election, held on Oct. 3-4, populist billionaire Andrej Babis' ANO topped the poll with about 34.7% of the vote, comfortably ahead of the governing center-right Spolu coalition, which secured around 23.2%.