(Bloomberg) --
Czech billionaire Prime Minister Andrej Babis's party dominated regional elections, overcoming a drop in popularity over his mixed record in handling the resurgent coronavirus pandemic.
Babis's ANO party won the most mandates in 10 out of 13 regions in the vote on Friday and Saturday, compared with victories in nine regions four years ago. While local administrations hold significantly less power than the central government in Prague, the ballot is a gauge of voter support about a year before general elections.
The result shows that Babis has withstood the fallout of the escalating Covid-19 crisis. After being one of the most successful European Union countries in clamping down during the spring outbreak through early and strict quarantine measures, the Czechs are now one of the hardest-hit.
“It's a great result,” Babis said. “It's really amazing that you weren't afraid in this time of Covid-19 and came to vote.”
Read more: Virus Spike Topples Health Minister as Czechs Become EU Hotspot
The nation of 10.7 million is trailing only Spain in terms of new cases a day per capita for the past two weeks, registering a daily record of 3,793 infections on Friday. Opinion polls last month showed a drop in ANO's support and a decline in Babis's popularity.
The government is imposing a 30-day state of emergency and new restrictions to stem the outbreak Monday, although Babis has pledged to avoid measures that would inflict major damage to the economy.
The cabinet has been under fire for inconsistencies in managing the crisis. In August, Babis overruled his health minister's decision to require face masks in public buildings. The minister quit last month, and Babis later said canceling the mask requirement may have been a mistake.
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