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Czech Elections

New Period of Instability Ahead

Social Democrats’ offices closed and put up for rent
Photo: Socialistická Alternativa Budoucnost
ISA Worldwide
Czechia
Socialistická Alternativa Budoucnost
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Right-wing populist Premier of the Czech Republic and dominant figurant in the latest “Panama Papers” has resigned after an election defeat

Thursday, 14 October 2021 16:16 (UTC)
Petr Jindra
Socialistická Alternativa Budoucnost — ISA in Czech Republic
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“Czech Republic back on democratic track...” This was the euphoric chant heard on 9 October coming from the rightwing coalition SPOLU’s election headquarters. This followed the news of their defeat of ANO, the party of the incumbent prime minister and tycoon Andrej Babiš.

It is likely that the new government will be dominated from the class point of view by the very same forces as the previous one. On top of that it will be pasted together by four or five different parties from the liberal center to conservative right. One thing was clear already before the elections: whatever the outcome, the next government will be like the previous one — anti-worker and anti-youth.

It will face multiple crises, that are already developing. Inflation is standing at almost 5% and could soon reach 7%. This rapidly eats into the already generally low wages — the pillar of Czech capitalism.

Continuous breaks in the supply chain, in particular long breaks in the delivery of semi-conductor components and chips are causing an unprecedented halt in production at Skoda Auto, belonging to VW. This is a flagship factory of heavy industry in the country, and will now be shut till the end of the year. The impact on the incomes of tens of thousands of working class families in the car industry, including the possible closure of smaller subcontractors in the supply chain, may well provoke the sleeping giant of the industrial working class in the country into action.

Pandemic related promises to health workers, teachers and other frontline workers have not been met — and the new government will not be able and willing to address their more than justified demands.

The collapse in support for the traditional “left” parties was predictable due to their uncritical collaboration with Andrej Babiš. He was further discredited when he was one of the dominant figures named in the latest “Panama Papers” exposures of top level corruption. Both the Social-Democrats and Stalinists paid a heavy price for the last four years, when they have acted as a prop for the Babiš government — their role as “useful idiots” is no longer needed, they lost all their seats.

The Pirate Party, whose leader was just months ago aspiring to become prime minister and once partially reflected the growing discontent of the young generation was reduced to just four seats.

A record one million of “wasted” votes, mainly cast for those parties which did not cross the 5% threshold, if added to the one third of the electorate who did not even bother to go to the polls mean that almost half of the eligible voters (47,5 %) will not be represented in the new parliament. This is not to mention those youth under 18 who are becoming radicalised over the climate crisis and other issues.

With an explosive mix of a sharp decline in working class incomes and the growing impatience of youth, who have no or little hope about their future, bitter struggles can materialize in the coming period. This will lay a real basis for the necessary renewal of workers, youth and social movements, especially of trade unions and political representation. In the last decade, workers and youth have been accepted only as extras in the cat and mouse battles between sections of the bourgeois elite. The time of real struggle is coming and Socialistická Alternativa Budoucnost aspires to be at the forefront.

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New Period of Instability Ahead (14 Oct 2021)

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