far right
far left
Far right – Nativism, Nationalism, Rejection of Equality
Far left – (absolute) Equality, Anti-Capitalism
1918-1938: Period of the „First Republic“
national fascist community NOF
The flag
Sudeten German Party (SdP)
Communist Party of Czechoslovakia
national fascist Community
o Established in 1926
o Headed by Radola Gajda, General of the Czechoslovak Legions
o Not very successful elections (1-2 % = 1-3 seats in Parliament), but most important group of fascist in CR
o Main idea: Anti-Germanism, Anti-Semitism, Czech-Nationalism
§ Program of the Party similar to German Nazis, but for CR
o Czech fascism, occasional flirtations with Nazism
o Unsuccessful attempt to seize power after German occupation (in 1939)
o Gradual demise during nazi occupation
The Flag
o Origin 1928
o Formerly the student union of the NOF
o Main idea: racism
o During the second republic and the protectorate, a key collaborationist Organization
o Leaders executed after war
o Accusations of membership in the Flag were very dangerous after the war
§ „Shame“ Part of Czech History in Parties
sudeten german party
o Established 1933
o New party for the banned pro-Nazi German parties
o Headed by Konrad Henlein
o Gradually absorbed all other German parties (or the parties disappeared and the voters changed over to Sudeten Party)
o By 1938 had 1.3 million members – the largest nazi party outside Germany
o In the 1935 parliamentary elections it won the most votes (15.2%)
o Was banned at the End of the First Republic (but it was „too late“)
before 1933: Negativsts: National Social Working Party, German National Parties
o Activists: able to create regime with Czech parties
o In 1933 CR accepted new law to ban political parties
1933
CR accepted new law to ban political parties
o Formed in 1921 by splitting from the social democracy
o Originally striving for a „Czech path to communism“ (should differ from the Russian one) —> led to conflicts between KSC and Comintern
o 1929: process of Bolshevization – firmly attached to the Comintern
o Then headed by Klement Gottwald
o Long term in elections around 10% (one of the biggest communist parties outside Soviet Union)
o Banned 1938, membership goes underground, leadership goes to Moscow
Period 1938-1989
development of state organization
- During occupation: liquidation of civil resistance
- Communist resistance survives until the end of the war
- 1945-1948: brief period of „semi-democracy“ (no longer respected constitution, political violence, communist Parties attempt to take power)
- 1948: communism coup, semi-legal takeover of power (mostly based on the legal possibilities which communism had, but with lot of illegal actions)
- 1948-1989 communist dictatorship (with only one real political party: communist party)
Period after 1989
- The formation of a completely new political extreme
- The first 20 years took a different form than in Western Europe
- Compared to the west, greater importance of subcultural groups
- After 2010 it takes on a form consistent with the rest of Europe (during the time of migration crisis)
- From the perspective of the far right – 4 waves of far right development
First wave of far right
o Emerge 1989
o Between 1992-1998 parliamentary party
o Electoral gain 6-8%
o In todays parlance „radical right populist party“
o Criticism of the establishment, calling for law and order („ we are living in chaos“ …)
o Fight between Czech slaves and „evil“ Germans – often still hatred of Germany/Germans from people (bc of second WW), Germans as „leaders of EU“ a threat for the CR
o Main enemies – Germans and Roma
o Leader: miroslav Sladek
first wave of far right
skinhead subculture
o Its roots in Bohemia date back to the mind 1980s
o After 1989, the boom associated with the music group Orlik (new kind of music and lyrics, „easy“ music)
o Idea: communism was bad for us, so be against, so be far right (opposite of communism has to be the right thing)
o They didn’t see themselves as nazis they see themselves as nationalists
o Combination of political attitudes and entertainment
o Ideal for young people
o A very rapid shift from nationalism and racism, to open neo-nazism and anti-Semitism
Second wave of far-right
National Resistance (NO) and Autonomous Nationalists (AN)
o After the electoral failure of the SPR- RSC in 1998 the rise of subcultural far right
o Rise of: Violence, white power music (long time white power concerts were untouched by the police, therefore big thing in CR), neo nacism and image
o Purely political (non subcultural) project unsuccessful
o (Slowly rising) Internal conflict between the political and subcultural wings
Political activists vs. Subcultural users
Trend: Turn away from subculture scene
o Around 2013 victory of the political approach complete disintegration follows
mainstreamisation of far right (international context)
- Racism and anti- Semitism replaced by anti Islamism
- Possibility to „rebrand“ far right (changes!)
- Anti immigration attitudes x Saving civilization
o Were not racist, were just try to save our country/EU etc
- White genocide x the great replacement (without anti-semitism)
- „Cultural Marxism“ x neo-Marxism
- Nationalism x euroscepticism („were just against EU and want to save our country“)
- Authoritarianism x direct democracy
- Continutíty with historical patterns x subscription to the liberal human rights tradition
third wave of far right
anti islamism
- We don’t want islam in the Czech Republic (IvCRN)
- Leader: Martin Konvicka
- Established in 2009 as a secret Internet forum
- 2014-2015 publish events
- Islamist terror and migration crisis
- 2015-2016 bloc against Islam (similar to PEGIDA)
- Cooperation With the right wing populist party Usvit
- Failure and disintegration of both
Enemies of IvCRN
o Government
o EU
o NGOS
o Neo Marxism
o The emergence and development of the disinformation scene
o The combination of the far right and the communist far left
o Connecting point: hatred of the west and liberalism, support for ultra conservative positions
3rd wave - Dawn of Direct Democracy/Freedom and Direct Democracy
o The party was founded on 2013
o Founder Tomio Okamura (successful businessman)
o Right wing populist
o Criticism of the establishment and anti immigration
o 2015 internal party coup, after which Okamura was expelled
o Okamura found the party of direct democracy
o His party is successful, Putschist party falls out of parliament
o Parties of Okamura remains in the parliament since 2013 to today
Party for the „losers“ of the political and economical transformation
fourth wave of far right
pandemic covid/war in ukraine
During covid: sharp increase in social frustration
Many people were mobilized, some radicalized
New entities emerge, usually anti-systemic
Majority unsuccessful (not many seats) , peoples anger capitalizes on Tomio Okamuras Party
o Often not really believe in Tomio Okumara, but think he’s the best to vote for if you’re anti-government
After the start of war in Ukraine, most of these groups support Russia
Large demonstrations in the last year (anti system)
Across the extreme political scene
Emphasis on opposition to the west and liberalism ( if you don’t choose the west, the east will be the thing to stick to, means Russia)
after 1989 - far left
- Communist party of Bohemia and Moravia (KSCM)
o From 1990 to 2021 parliamentary party
o Orthodox communitarian party, never reformed
o Anti system light
o Party never part of a government coalition
o At local level often part of coalitions
o Part of electoral switches to ANO or right wing popularism
far left - anarchist movement
¡ Emerging in the late 1980s
¡ Significant until 2010 due to anti-racist activities
¡ Related to the form of the Czech far right (Skinheads)
¡ Strongly anti-communist (typical within Eastern Europe)
¡ Specific role of Anti-Fascist Action during the neo-Nazi mobilization during 2007-2008
¡ Cooperation with the media, doxing of neo-Nazis
¡ Currently marginal
¡ Majority pro-wax and pro-Ukraine
conclusion!!
the development of the Czech far right is different than in Western Europe
Subcultural far right dominates the first 25 years or so
After the onset of the migration crisis, the emergence of populist entities and the move towards the European model
A series of moments associated with the rise of anti-system movements - almost never managed to create a successful political project
The gradual convergence of the far right and the far left
The unifying moment is the opposition to the West (liberalism) and the support of ultra-conservative positions
This gradually leads to the marginalization of the Communist Party
Last changeda year ago
