1998 Czech legislative election

1998 Czech legislative election
	19–20 June 1998
	19–20 June 1998
All 200 seats in the Chamber of Deputies ; 101 seats needed for a majority
PM before election; Josef Tošovský; Independent	Elected PM ; Miloš Zeman; ČSSD

Parliamentary elections were held in the Czech Republic on 19 and 20 June 1998.^[1] The result was a victory for the Czech Social Democratic Party, which won 74 of the 200 seats. Voter turnout was 73.9%.^[2]

Background

The Civic Democratic Party (ODS) had won the 1996 parliamentary elections. The party's leader, Václav Klaus, then formed a minority government supported by the Czech Social Democratic Party (ČSSD).^[3]^[4] The government lasted until 1998, when it resigned during a political crisis that caused the division of ODS and the disintegration of the ruling coalition. Snap elections was called for June 1998.^[5]^[6]

Campaign

The ODS was weakened by the creation of a new party, the Freedom Union (US). The US was formed by former members of ODS who had left after a conflict with Václav Klaus. The ODS was polling at around 10%, with the US expected to replace it as the major right-wing party. The ČSSD was expected to win by large margin. The ODS launched their campaign with warnings that a new government would contain Communist members and used its leader Klaus heavily during the campaign. The ČSSD criticised the work of Klaus' cabinet and recycled slogans used during 1996 campaign, as well as promising to fight against corruption.^[6]

Finances

Party	Money spent (Kč)
Civic Democratic Party	30,000,000
Czech Social Democratic Party	30,000,000
Christian and Democratic Union – Czechoslovak People's Party	30,000,000
Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia	8,000,000
Freedom Union	2,000,000
Source: České Noviny

Opinion polls

Polling firm	Date	ODS	ČSSD	KSČM	KDU-ČSL	ODA	US	SPR-RSČ	DŽJ	Others
Polling firm	Date									Others
STEM^[7]	January 1998	15.0	32.0	10.0	11.0	n/a	n/a	5.0	n/a	27.0
IVVM	January 1998^[8]	15.4	28.0	8.6	11.1	5.3	n/a	3.5	0.6	26.4
STEM	February 1998	12.0	29.0	11.0	9.0	n/a	11.0	8.0	n/a	20.0
IVVM	March 1998^[8]	10.3	25.7	8.0	7.7	1.2	12.6	5.4	1.6	27.9
STEM	March 1998	11.0	30.0	9.0	9.0	n/a	18.0	8.0	n/a	15.0
STEM	April 1998	16.0	24.0	11.0	9.0	1.4	13.0	6.0	4.0	15.6
IVVM (for US)^[8]	April 1998	15.9	23.7	10.7	9.1	1.3	12.7	5.7	6.2	3.3
IVVM^[8]	April 1998	11.3	25.1	10.0	8.0	0.4	12.0	4.6	4.9	23.5
STEM	May 1998	16.0	25.0	11.0	9.0	n/a	14.0	5.0	n/a	20.0
IVVM (for US)^[8]	May 1998	16.3	25.4	10.5	9.0	1.3	13.7	5.1	6.3	3.2
IVVM^[8]	May 1998	14.2	22.1	8.5	5.8	0.6	9.1	3.9	10.2	26.2
IVVM^[8]	June 1998	15.0	22.5	7.4	7.1	n/a	6.8	4.2	9.0	26.8
STEM	June 1998	19.0	22.0	9.0	7.0	n/a	8.0	5.0	n/a	30.0
Sofres Factum^[9]	10 June 1998	19.5	26.7	9.0	6.0	n/a	5.4	n/a	n/a	12.9
Sofres Factum^[9]	12 June 1998	19.1	29.3	9.1	6.0	n/a	6.9	n/a	n/a	8.3
STEM^[9]	12 June 1998	20.7	23.2	10.3	8.8	n/a	8.4	n/a	n/a	9.1
Sofres Factum^[9]	17 June 1998	21.4	27.6	9.2	7.5	n/a	7.1	n/a	n/a	10.3
Exit Polls
IFES and SC&C^[9]	20 June 1998	27.1	32.2	11.4	9.2	n/a	8.5	3.9	3.0
Sofres Factum^[9]	20 June 1998	27.0	32.0	11.0	9.2	n/a	8.4	3.8	3.8
Election results	19-20 June 1998	27.7	32.3	11.0	9.0	0	8.6	3.9	3.1	3.5

Results

Popular vote

ČSSD			32.31%
ODS			27.74%
KSČM			11.03%
KDU-ČSL			8.99%
US			8.60%
SPR-RSČ			3.90%
DŽJ			3.06%
DEU			1.44%
SZ			1.12%
Others			1.81%

Parliamentary seats

ČSSD			37.00%
ODS			31.50%
KSČM			12.00%
KDU-ČSL			10.00%
US			9.50%

Party	Votes	%	Seats	+/–

Czech Social Democratic Party	1,928,660	32.31	74	+13
Civic Democratic Party	1,656,011	27.74	63	–5
Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia	658,550	11.03	24	+2
KDU-ČSL	537,013	8.99	20	+2
Freedom Union	513,596	8.60	19	New

SPR-RSČ	232,965	3.90	0	–18
Pensioners for Life Security	182,900	3.06	0	0
Democratic Union	86,431	1.44	0	0
Green Party	67,143	1.12	0	New
Independents	51,981	0.87	0	0
Moravian Democratic Party	22,282	0.37	0	New
Czech National Social Party	17,185	0.29	0	New
Civic Coalition – Political Club	14,788	0.25	0	New
Invalid/blank votes	25,339	–	–	–
Total	5,994,844	100	200	0
Registered voters/turnout	8,116,836	73.9	–	–
Source: Nohlen & Stöver

References

^ Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p471 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7
^ Nohlen & Stöver, p472
^ Charvát, Jakub (2013). Politika volebních reforem v ČR po roce 1989 (in Czech). Grada Publishing a.s. p. 95. ISBN 9788024747002. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
^ "Historie voleb od roku 1990. Připomeňte si polistopadovou éru". Nova.cz (in Czech). 27 May 2010. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
^ "Od Klause k Paroubkovi - české vlády "sebevrahů"". iDNES.cz. 1 September 2006. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
^ ^a ^b "Kampaň k volbám do Poslanecké sněmovny 1998". IPM (in Czech). Retrieved 18 December 2017.
^ Koutník, Ondřej (31 March 2009). Vznik a vývoj politické strany Unie svobody v letech 1998–2004 (PDF). Olomouc: Palacký University. p. 32. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g "Nesstar WebView". nesstar.soc.cas.cz. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "98-4" (PDF). Statspol. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 July 2007. Retrieved 17 January 2017.

[DN-1] Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p471 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7

[2] Nohlen & Stöver, p472

[3] Charvát, Jakub (2013). Politika volebních reforem v ČR po roce 1989 (in Czech). Grada Publishing a.s. p. 95. ISBN 9788024747002. Retrieved 18 December 2017.

[Historie_voleb_od_roku_1990._Připomeňte_si_polistopadovou_éru-4] "Historie voleb od roku 1990. Připomeňte si polistopadovou éru". Nova.cz (in Czech). 27 May 2010. Retrieved 18 December 2017.

[Od_Klause_k_Paroubkovi_-_české_vlády_„sebevrahů“-5] "Od Klause k Paroubkovi - české vlády "sebevrahů"". iDNES.cz. 1 September 2006. Retrieved 18 December 2017.

[Kampaň_k_volbám_do_Poslanecké_sněmovny_1998-6] "Kampaň k volbám do Poslanecké sněmovny 1998". IPM (in Czech). Retrieved 18 December 2017.

[7] Koutník, Ondřej (31 March 2009). Vznik a vývoj politické strany Unie svobody v letech 1998–2004 (PDF). Olomouc: Palacký University. p. 32. Retrieved 1 August 2016.

[IVVM-8] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g "Nesstar WebView". nesstar.soc.cas.cz. Retrieved 4 January 2017.

[statspol-9] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "98-4" (PDF). Statspol. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 July 2007. Retrieved 17 January 2017.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]