Prague petition urges election winner STAN to form coalition without ODS

A petition is urging Prague’s municipal election winner, STAN, to form a governing coalition with Praha sobě and the Pirates instead of the ODS-led SPOLU alliance.

The “Prague leadership without ODS” petition displayed approximately 3,200 signatures Monday evening, up from around 2,600. Its organizers argue that the three groups share a more compatible vision for housing, transport, climate policy and public space.

The appeal comes as STAN begins post-election talks. Its negotiating team was scheduled to meet SPOLU representatives Monday, with discussions also planned with Praha sobě and the Pirates.

STAN narrowly won the popular vote, but it and SPOLU each secured 17 seats in Prague’s 65-member council. SPOLU’s Prague ticket brings together ODS and TOP 09.

Together, the two groups would hold 34 seats, enough for a majority without another partner. According to post-election statements cited by ČTK, STAN considers cooperation with SPOLU highly likely and is weighing whether to include a third group.

The petition proposes a different majority: STAN’s 17 councilors, Praha sobě’s 13 and the Pirates’ seven would provide 37 seats.

Organizers contend that STAN attracted voters with a liberal, forward-looking program that ODS does not share. They call on the movement to prioritize that program when choosing its partners.

They also point to Prague’s 2018–2022 administration, which brought together the Pirates, Praha sobě and an alliance including STAN and TOP 09, as a model worth building on. Their description of that coalition as successful is the petitioners’ assessment.

ANO won the remaining 11 council seats. STAN and the other elected groups have ruled out governing with it.

Prague STAN spokeswoman Šárka Kuželová thanked residents for their interest in the coalition negotiations and the city’s future direction.

She said the movement would publish updates and positions through mayoral candidate Petr Hlaváček’s social media accounts while intensive discussions continued.

“We greatly appreciate citizens’ involvement and interest, even beyond the elections,” Kuželová said.

Her response did not commit STAN to the alliance requested by the petition or rule out cooperation with SPOLU.

The petition adds public pressure to negotiations whose outcome remains undecided. Both proposed combinations have enough seats to govern, leaving the choice of partners dependent on political agreements rather than a lack of a council majority.

For Prague residents, the next significant development will be an agreement on the coalition, its program and the division of leadership roles. The election has settled the council’s membership; it has yet to settle the city’s next administration.