Ruling Party Narrowly Loses Czech Vote; Prime Minister Babis May Be Out

Czech Republic's Prime Minister Andrej Babis attends the last debates at the public radio before the poll stations open for the parliamentary election in Prague, Czech Republic, on Oct. 8, 2021. Petr David Josek/AP Photo

PRAGUE—Prime Minister Andrej Babis’ party on Saturday narrowly lost the Czech Republic’s parliamentary election, a surprise development that could mean the end of the billionaire’s reign in power.

The two-day election to fill 200 seats in the lower house of the Czech Republic’s parliament took place shortly after the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists reported details of Babis’ overseas financial dealings in a project dubbed the “Pandora Papers.” Babis, 67, has denied wrongdoing.