(MENAFN) Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has congratulated Czech politician Andrej Babis on his election victory, calling the result “good news” for Europe.

Orban became the first foreign leader to acknowledge Babis’ win shortly after preliminary results were released on Saturday. Babis’ ANO movement, a right-wing party, secured around 35% of the parliamentary vote, emerging as the clear frontrunner.

“Truth has prevailed! Andrej Babis has won the Czech parliamentary elections with a convincing lead. A big step for the Czech Republic, good news for Europe. Congratulations, Andrej!” Orban wrote on X, sharing a photo of the two leaders together.

In his victory speech, Babis — often dubbed the “Czech Trump” by local media — rejected accusations of being anti-EU, insisting that he seeks to “save” the bloc rather than oppose it.

While Babis signaled his intention to form a one-party cabinet, ANO fell short of a parliamentary majority, meaning coalition talks will be necessary. The most likely partners include the far-right, anti-EU and anti-NATO SPD party, which earned nearly 8% of the vote, and the Motorists party, known for opposing Brussels’ environmental policies, which garnered about 7%.

Throughout his campaign, Babis criticized the EU’s stance on migration and climate policy and opposed Ukraine’s bid for EU membership. He also vowed to terminate the ‘Czech initiative’ — a program to supply ammunition to Kiev — describing it as overpriced, while pledging to cut aid to Ukraine and prioritize domestic spending over austerity.

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