Czechs go to the polls on Friday and Saturday faced with a deteriorating security situation in Europe and fears of Russian interference.
Populist billionaire Andrej Babis, 71, is tipped to head the next government, replacing the strongly pro-Western, pro-Ukraine coalition.
But he'll likely need allies on the extremes of Czech politics – and their price will not be cheap.
We'll never drag the Czech Republic to the East. I can absolutely rule that out, Babis told a crowd of mostly elderly supporters in Kladno.
He emphasized that under his leadership, the Czech Republic would remain aligned with the West, stating, We weren't the ones who sat down with Putin - we were the ones who expelled Russian diplomats! referring to the expulsion of Russian diplomats after a 2014 incident involving the GRU military intelligence.
A row of grey heads nodded as the former prime minister warmed to his theme.
Never - I repeat, never - will we consider leaving the European Union. Look at what happened to Great Britain! he added.
Andrej Babis's ANO party is unlikely to win an overall majority, meaning he will need to form alliances with smaller parties on the fringes, such as the ultra-nationalist SPD and others that favor radical policy changes, including the call for referendums on leaving the EU and NATO.
While Babis insists that his party will not align with the Communists, his potential coalition partners pose a significant risk to the Czech Republic's commitment to NATO and EU policies.
As the elections draw near, voters express concern over the direction the country may take, with some fearing a move toward more authoritarian governance.
