(MENAFN) On Friday, Czech citizens began voting to choose the 200 representatives for the lower house of their parliament, the Chamber of Deputies, for a four-year term.

This year's election for the lower house will see a record 26 political groups—an increase of four from 2021—as around 8 million eligible voters head to the polls on Friday and Saturday.

With 4,463 candidates running, which is an average of about 22 people competing for every available seat, only seven have a "realistic chance" of winning seats, according to a news agency.

The election is considered crucial by many, as the victory of the right-wing populist ANO party, led by billionaire Andrej Babiš (age 71), could strengthen the populist movement in Central Europe. The outcome is important because the new Czech government will be formed by the Chamber of Deputies.

A majority for ANO is improbable, as they need over 40% of the parliamentary seats to govern. Leader Andrej Babiš has further limited his options by ruling out a coalition with Prime Minister Petr Fiala's ODS party and vowing to keep the country out of the Eurozone.

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