Far-right Czech coalition risk to LGBTQ+ rights, activists say

LONDON - Populist billionaire Andrej Babiš has entered into coalition discussions with anti-LGBTQ+ parties after his ANO party triumphed in the Czech Republic election at the weekend, leaving activists concerned for the future of marriage equality.

Babiš, a former prime minister, won the election with 34.5% of the vote. He told reporters he had begun talks with the far-right parties Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) and Motorists for Themselves about forming a government.

Many Czechs fear such a coalition could lead to anti-LGBTQ+ policies that might mirror Hungary's LGBTQ+ propaganda ban or Slovakia's constitutional amendment allowing for only two genders, introduced in September.

Campaigners have been pushing for the legalisation of same-sex marriage after the lower house agreed to give more rights to same-sex couples in civil partnerships, but stopped short of calling the union a marriage or allowing joint adoption.

Here's everything you need to know.

What are LGBTQ+ rights like in the Czech Republic?

The Czech Republic ranks 30th out of 49 European countries for LGBTQ+ rights, according to advocacy group ILGA-Europe, although some progress has been made in the last year.

As of Jan. 1, same-sex civil partnerships are recognised, following an amendment to the civil code in 2024. A proposal for same-sex marriage was rejected at the same time.

Civil unions grant many of the same spousal benefits as marriage, such as joint property ownership and inheritance rights, but same-sex couples are unable to adopt children together.

As of July 1, following a landmark court ruling, trans people are also no longer required to undergo surgery or forced sterilisation in order to change their legal gender.

According to guidelines from the Health Ministry, people who want to change their legal gender need a diagnosis from a specialist doctor, who will also conduct a six- to 12-month observation.

Research has shown that public attitudes towards LGBTQ+ issues are generally supportive, with a survey this year by the Public Opinion Research Centre (CVVM) finding that 64% of respondents were in favour of same-sex marriage.

However, a European Union study published in 2024 found that LGBTQ+ people in Czechia experienced the highest rates of hate-motivated harassment in the bloc and neighbouring countries, tied with North Macedonia.

What does the election result mean for rights?

The ANO party - which translates to "yes" in Czech - won the vote without a majority, meaning its eventual coalition partners will have a significant influence on policy, including progress on rights.

Babiš is seeking to govern with the Motorists and SPD. The SPD is against same-sex marriage and the adoption of children by homosexual couples, while the Motorists favour LGBTQ+ censorship laws.

"We reject gender ideology in schools. We reject LGBT propaganda in public spaces," the Motorists party said in its election manifesto.

ANO has taken a more ambiguous stance towards LGBTQ+ rights. Babiš has previously said he supports equal marriage, but only a minority of the party's MPs voted for it in parliament last year.

Sometimes referred to as the "Czech Donald Trump", Babiš has close ties to Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico and to Hungarian leader Viktor Orbán. He previously declined to sign a letter backed by 15 EU member states against Hungary's LGBTQ+ propaganda law.

"If those Russian parties connect with the conservative part of the political spectrum, as we've seen in Slovakia, this could be dangerous for rights," Adél Kučera, a trans politician from the Green Party, told Context.

More MPs who openly support same-sex marriage were elected to the 200-seat assembly this time, bringing the total to 60, compared to 49 after the 2021 parliamentary election, according to marriage equality group Jsme fer.

How are LGBTQ+ groups responding?

LGBTQ+ advocates are concerned a far-right leaning coalition will lead to increased discrimination and hate speech as well as a loss of rights.

Anti-LGBTQ+ groups in Czechia generated nearly $5.5 million in funding from 2019 through 2023, with lobbyists seeing a sharp increase of 83% in financial support over the five-year span, according to a report by the European Parliamentary Forum published this year.

Efforts to amend the constitution to explicitly ban same-sex marriage have been unsuccessful to date, but there are concerns they could be revived now, according to Filip Milde of Jsme fér.

Milde of marriage equality campaign group Jsme fér.

A lack of marriage equality "keeps LGBTQ+ people, couples and families with children in a separate box and denies them full parental rights. It creates inequality by law," said Milde.

(Reporting by Lucy Middleton; editing by editing by Ellen Wulfhorst and Ayla Jean Yackley.)