Czech parliamentary election 2025: What expats need to know

Czech voters will head to the polls on October 3–4, 2025, to elect all 200 members of the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of parliament. This year’s election brings a major change for citizens living abroad, who will be able to vote by mail in parliamentary elections for the first time.

While only Czech citizens are eligible to vote nationally, expats and foreign residents may still play a role by staying informed and participating in local and EU elections where allowed. Here’s what you need to know about voter eligibility, registration, and the major parties shaping the country’s political future.

Voters in the 2025 Czech parliamentary election will decide the makeup of the 200-member Chamber of Deputies. The outcome will directly determine who forms the next government and who serves as Prime Minister. In the Czech system, the confidence of a majority in the Chamber must be maintained to stay in power.

These elections take place every four years and are critical to shaping national policy on key issues such as the economy, foreign relations, and healthcare. The 2025 vote comes at a time of political realignment, with several new alliances forming across the ideological spectrum and declining support for some parties in the current ruling coalition.

The Czech Republic uses an open party-list proportional representation system, with seats allocated using the Sainte-Laguë method. This means parties win seats in proportion to the number of votes they receive, but the Sainte-Laguë formula slightly favors smaller parties compared to other methods.

Voters cast their ballot for a political party, but can also give up to four preference votes to individual candidates on that party’s list. These preference votes can influence which candidates from the list are elected, giving voters some control over the ranking of candidates and not just the party as a whole.

For the first time, Czech citizens living abroad can vote by mail in parliamentary elections. To do so, they must register on the Special Voters List at a Czech embassy or consulate, apply for a postal vote, and submit their vote by the deadline specified by the Czech authorities. More details can be found here.

The parliamentary elections will determine the composition of the Chamber of Deputies and influence the formation of the next government. Key issues include the economy, healthcare, foreign policy, and EU relations.

Below are the major Czech political parties running in the 2025 parliamentary election. Parties need a minimum of 5 percent support to win seats in the Chamber of Deputies.