Are the Deputy Prime Minister's offensive remarks about the Roma influencing ordinary citizens?
The little village of Dolni Nemci, close to the town of Uherske Hradiste in
Moravia, has a new hero. His name is Jan Riha - a pensioner who asked a
question that triggered debate and may eventually spell the end of the
political career of a senior member of government.
In the Blesk tabloid's recent question and answer session between ordinary
citizens and Deputy Prime Minister Jiri Cunek, who is also the leader of
the Christian Democrats, Mr Riha asked what chances people other than the
Roma had of receiving state subsidies. In order to explain what he was
referring to, I have to go back a few months.
In October, Jiri Cunek - as mayor of Vsetin at the time - evicted several
hundred Romany rent defaulters from their homes and re-housed them in
portacabins and vacant dilapidated buildings. Although Mr Cunek's bold act
is probably one of the reasons why he has made it all the way to the
leadership of his party, his move did meet with criticism from some
politicians. In response to the furore caused by the affair, the Green
Party's Dzamila Stehlikova suggested establishing a public donation fund
to help the Roma families install electricity, water and a functioning
sewage system.
So, that's why Mr Riha asked whether people other than Romanies should
receive subsidies. But it was the answer that made the headlines. Mr Cunek
said in order for politicians to think you're badly off, you have to get
tanned, cause disorder, and light fires on your town square. What Mr Cunek
did not add but everyone knew he meant was "just like the Roma
do". Despite this statement and another one he made previously when
he described last year's Roma evictions as the removal of an ulcer, his
party sees no reason for him to resign.
But more surprisingly, Mr Riha is now the village hero! The mayor recently
told a daily that he gets calls from local residents asking how their
famous citizen is doing. In an opinion poll that was recently commissioned
by Czech TV, 64 percent of respondents agreed with Mr Cunek. So, it appears
to me that Mr Riha asked a question that many have been dying to ask but
never dared to.
I am not denying that the different life that many Roma lead is difficult
to get accustomed to. But the question is what message the nation should
be getting in terms of reacting to other ethnicities. The country's far
right extremists are already applauding Mr Cunek. So what direction will
the country take if the rest of the nation follows the advice of the state
representative who suggests that it's not only okay to speak out but also
to act on your emotions? I'm sure that many Czechs know their boundaries
but how many do not?
Minister Cunek, who is also facing corruption charges, is now under
growing pressure to resign. The President and Prime Minister both say he
currently has no place in politics and the Green Party is threatening to
leave the governing coalition if Mr Cunek stays.
When the Green Party minister proposed to establish the donation fund to
collect one and a half million crowns in emergency assistance for the
evicted Roma, pro-Roma activists did not welcome the offer. They feared it
would backfire with reactions just like that of the pensioner from the
little village in Moravia - and they were right. Now, the damage seems to
have already been done. The country's international reputation as a
xenophobic and possibly even discriminatory state is being confirmed and
the remaining politicians' sudden engagement has come a few weeks too
late.
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In the Blesk tabloid's recent question and answer session between ordinary
citizens and Deputy Prime Minister Jiri Cunek, who is also the leader of
the Christian Democrats, Mr Riha asked what chances people other than the
Roma had of receiving state subsidies. In order to explain what he was
referring to, I have to go back a few months.
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