Corruption Rhetoric Vs Scandals: How ANO Thrives in the Czech Republic

Corruption is relevant in elections: parties using anti-corruption discourses are often appealing to the electorate, while party-related corruption scandals can undermine voters’ support. What remains underexplored, however, is how parties with strong anti-corruption rhetoric continue to amass public support in spite of being involved in corruption scandals. This paper fills this gap in the literature and explains how ANO in the Czech Republic maintains an anti-corruption profile after becoming associated with corruption scandals, and remains credible to the electorate. Our analysis combines qualitative content analysis of party manifesetos, party communication from press releases and social media with public opinion data from a survey collected in early 2026 to reflect on ANO’s recent success in the 2025 legislative elections. The findings suggest that anti-corruption messages remain electorally viable when voters prioritize party performance over ethical consistency. Such outcome matters for explaining how anti-corruption rhetoric works for parties involved in corruption scandals that are perceived as legally and factually complex and unfold within a prolonged judicial process.