An unstable European country will stay that way until an election is held next spring.
Gabriela Perdomo – Perhaps the best way to describe the Czech Republic’s political scene this past year is a pendulum. Back and forth, political parties and voters have constantly moved without finding a stable centre, and so the year has gone by with much movement but little to show for it.
Gabriela Perdomo – Perhaps the best way to describe the Czech Republic’s political scene this past year is a pendulum. Back and forth, political parties and voters have constantly moved without finding a stable centre, and so the year has gone by with much movement but little to show for it.
Back in January, the governing Civic Democratic Party (ODS), a conservative group calling for economic reform and market liberalization, had little support from Czech voters. The opposition Czech Social Democratic Party (CSSD) had the upper hand. As the year advanced, the CSSD’s lead over the ODS narrowed considerably to reflect a political stalemate that was about to turn into an insurmountable obstacle for the government.
In March, the ODS government led by Czech prime minister Mirek Topolanek lost one of several confidence motions that had been tabled by the opposition to topple the administration since 2007. An interim government headed by non-partisan Jan Fischer has been in place since. An election that was scheduled for October will not happen now on account of a Constitutional Court decision to review a complaint by independent lawmaker Milos Melcak, who said a new ballot would illegally cut short his term in the legislature. Most likely, Czech voters will not be called to the ballot box until next spring.
Much went on while the CSSD and the ODS were busy attacking each other. First, others were watching. The government’s collapse put the Czech Republic’s instability on the spot as it was holding the rotating presidency of the European Union (EU) during the first six months of the year. Second, a new party was formed. In June, Miroslav Kalousek, a former member of the Christian and Democratic Union-Czech People’s Party (KDU-CSL), launched a new conservative political party called Tradition Responsibility Prosperity 09 (TOP 09). The group is now led by former Czech foreign minister Karel Schwarzenberg.
It has been a difficult year for the Czech Republic. But whether you call it creative destruction or a year of adjustments, the truth is that the young country was deemed to face this sort of crisis before being able to run a smooth government. By the time the next election arrives, both politicians and voters will have reflected on what is important to move forward, and will hopefully be more focused on the issues.
The ODS will be able to regroup and may even win a new mandate. One of the biggest issues that put it at odds with voters in the past two years—an agreement with the United States to place an anti-missile radar base on Czech soil that the people adamantly rejected—has been put on hold by U.S. president Barack Obama. Topolanek’s government was a staunch supporter of the plan, but now the ODS can forget about it for the time being without taking responsibility for its fate. The economy, which also lies at the heart of the people’s discontent with the government led by the ODS, may see a rebound over the next few months as the global financial markets stabilize, giving the party some more room to promote its economic reform plans.
On the other hand, there is a chance the ODS could benefit from the presence of the new conservative party in the political scene—the TOP 09—as it could eventually strike some sort of coalition deal. The new party has already a good base of followers. In the last CVVM poll, it garnered the support of 11.4 per cent of respondents, in fourth place and just behind the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (KSCM), which holds 26 seats in the legislature.
The election is still months away and, if this year is any indication, plenty could still happen in Czech politics. And though the ODS may see a rebound, it is also true that the CSSD has been building a very strong base over the past two years. The party’s leader, former prime minister Jiri Paroubek, has a very high profile and has won followers over with his consistent criticism of the government’s handling of the economy.
In the end, the worst that could happen would be having a new tie amongst rival factions that would bring yet another frustrating freeze to a country urgently in need of leadership.
