ANYONE with illusions that the blurred Czech political picture would be clearer after the election on October 25th and 26th was in for a rude awakening. Despite finishing as runner-up ANO, a new populist political vehicle for the country’s second-richest man, emerged as the real victor. The ostensible winners, but de facto losers, were the Social Democrats, who have spent the days following the vote engaged in recriminations and bitter factional warfare.

The Czechs vented their anger about a string of corruption scandals by supporting new parties. The right, in particular the historically dominant Civic Democrats (ODS), suffered most, as many of its voters switched to ANO, which purports to be pro-business.

Seven parties passed the 5% threshold to get into parliament. The Social Democrats, which had expected a far stronger victory, took only 21% of the vote, followed by ANO with 19% and the Communists with 15%. The right-of-centre TOP 09 and the ODS got 12% and 8% respectively. Usvit (Dawn), a party some term proto-fascist, scored 7%. So did the Christian Democrats. The Social Democrats had hoped to secure at least 70 seats in the 200-seat chamber of deputies, but instead won just 50.

The Social Democrats are struggling to form a coalition government. The disappointing result has led some to call for the resignation of Bohuslav Sobotka, the party’s chairman and former candidate for prime minister. Mr Sobotka is determined to stay, by fending off what is widely viewed as a challenge from party members loyal to Milos Zeman, the president, who used to lead the Social Democrats. Mr Sobotka has called for a meeting of the party’s central committee on November 10th. A temporary truce is needed before talks about forming a coalition government can begin.

Led by Andrej Babis, a billionaire, ANO did much better than predicted. Voters appeared untroubled by a series of leaks that seem to indicate that Mr Babis was first a collaborator and then an agent for the reviled communist secret police (the StB) during the 1980s. Mr Babis denies the allegations. During the campaign he insisted his party wished to remain in opposition and he continued to do so in the election’s aftermath. Even so, ANO is likely to be a part of any government.

Mr Babis remains an unknown quantity. His rapid success is the result of widespread disillusionment with the country’s political class, a generous campaign budget and an anti-corruption platform. The party won the vote in northern Bohemia, a former industrial bastion where unemployment is high. Mr Babis bought two of the country’s highest-circulation daily newspapers this year, leading critics to call him the “Czech Berlusconi”, a moniker he has laughed off. “Comparisons with Berlusconi make me smile, because I wouldn’t ruin my investment by influencing those media,” he said in an interview.

Some form of co-operation between the Social Democrats, ANO and the Christian Democrats appears likely. It is nobody’s preferred arrangement and any agreement will be tenuous Mr Zeman retains a lot of discretion over which party to invite to form a government and over the coalition negotiations themselves. He has shown an unabashed willingness to stretch the bounds of his powers.

Voters are finding the inconclusive election results as frustrating as the party leaders. A post-election poll by Czech television found that 80% of Czechs think a state of political crisis will continue for the foreseeable future. They are probably right.