Members of the far-right Patriots for Europe group are celebrating the victory of populist right-winger Andrej Babiš and his ANO party in the Czech parliamentary elections.

ANO on Saturday won the elections in Czechia with more than 34 percent of the vote, well ahead of the current center-right governing coalition Spolu (Together), which had 23 percent.

Babiš is the hot candidate to become prime minister after ANO’s strong showing.

The agricultural tycoon co-founded the Patriots group, along with Hungary’s Viktor Orbán and Austria’s Herbert Kickl, in the summer of 2024. Soon joined by Marine Le Pen’s National Rally, the Patriots surged to become the third-largest group in the European Parliament.

Orbán was one of the first European leaders to congratulate Babiš.

“Truth has prevailed! Andrej Babiš has won the Czech parliamentary elections with a convincing lead,” the Hungarian prime minister said in a post on social platform X. “A big step for the Czech Republic, good news for Europe.”

Italy’s far-right League leader Matteo Salvini said that Babiš had “crushed the left” in the Czech vote. Salvini also congratulated the right-wing populist party Motorists, also a member of the Patriots, which entered Czechia’s parliament for the first time and is likely to become part of the government.

“The Patriots are advancing all across Europe! Our friend Andrej Babiš, an ally of the League in the EU, wins the elections in the Czech Republic, crushes the left (at historic lows!), and is preparing to lead a government that will focus on fighting illegal immigration, saying no to war, and stopping Brussels’ crazy policies,” Salvini said on X.

“Excellent results too for our allies Motoristé sobě, who keep growing steadily. Together we win!” he added.

Both Le Pen and Jordan Bardella of the far-right National Rally also hailed ANO’s victory.

“Congratulations to Andrej Babiš and the ANO party for coming out well ahead in the Czech Republic’s parliamentary elections. All across Europe, patriotic parties are being called to power by the people, who long to reclaim their freedom and prosperity!” Le Pen said in a post on X.

Bardella echoed her sentiment, describing the result as “a landslide in favor of free enterprise, ending punitive environmental policies, and opposing uncontrolled immigration.”

Others from the Patriots, like Denmark’s Anders Vistisen, the Netherlands’ Geert Wilders, Austria’s Harald Vilimsky and Hungary’s Kinga Gál, expressed joy over the result.

Few European leaders outside the Patriots group have commented on the victory by Babiš and ANO. One who did offer congratulations is Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the Belarusian opposition leader.

“The Czech Republic has always been among the most loyal allies of Belarusian civil society and democratic forces. I am grateful for the concrete support that a free Belarus has received. I trust that the new Czech government, emerging from this election, will maintain a strong course of solidarity and continue to support our fight for freedom and the rule of law,” Tsikhanouskaya said in a post on X.

Kirill Dmitriev, a close adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin and head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, said that “Europe is waking up.”

“Congrats to Andrej Babiš, the Czech people & Patriots for Europe! Europe is waking up — enough of uncontrolled immigration, war fever, censorship and economic decline. The Right choice is winning across Europe,” Dmitriev wrote in a post on X.