Court hears government’s case to ban far-right Workers’ Party
On the agenda of the Supreme Administrative Court on Monday is a
much-discussed case that has been long in the making: a governmental
proposal to dissolve the far-right Workers’ Party. Different governments
have asserted that the party is a political wing of the neo-Nazi movement,
however a previous attempt to ban the party outright in early 2009 was
dismissed for lack of evidence. This time around the Ministry of the
Interior is sparing no punches.
The proposal to ban the Workers’ Party comes on the heels of a string of
crackdowns on extremist activity throughout 2009. The government has stated
its intention to take a tough line against extremism and it clearly has no
intention of allowing its proposal to be thrown out on the grounds of lack
of evidence. Where the first proposal brought by the previous government
was four pages long, the current one comprises more than a hundred pages
with 91 appendixes of evidence aiming to prove the party’s collusion with
right-wing extremist groups. For all that though, Interior Minister Martin
Pecina says dissolving the Workers’ Party is not the main issue:
“The neo-Nazis have been hit so hard recently that at present their
movement has been weakened enough as it is. I don’t think that this case
entails anything dramatic, but I think we should send a clear signal that
this kind of movement has no place in our system. But if it doesn’t work
out I don’t see it as a tragedy.”
The government asserts that the Workers’ Party knowingly exhorts social
tension by systematically vilifying minorities to create an atmosphere of
negativity, fear and hatred. Their members are accused of taking direct and
indirect part in various associations relating to National Socialism and
hard-line nationalism, organising concerts of groups with known fascist
ideologies, and targeting primarily Roma, immigrants and homosexuals.
The prohibition of a party however is a very serious step, a major
encroachment into constitutional rights, and the government must do more
than prove that the ideology of the Workers’ Party is contemptible; it
must also pose a threat to democracy in the Czech Republic. On his way to
court, Workers’ Party Chairman Tomáš Vandas told me that democracy and
equality is exactly what his party is about:
“Under no circumstances have we ever presented ourselves as wanting to
suppress any minority, promoted neo-Nazism or done anything of the sort. We
have always emphasised that we are only interested in one thing – that
the laws of this country apply to everyone equally, regardless of
skin-colour. That is our priority, and that is what our platform is about;
I don’t think there is anything racist or discriminatory about it. This
court case is merely a political process intended to liquidate an
opposition political party that has been gaining in popularity and has more
and more support among citizens.”
Indeed, while the Workers’ Party is by all means a fringe association
(the government’s figures attest to 670 members) its showing in elections
to the European Parliament was adequate, with more than one percent of
votes winning the party funding from the very state that wants to ban them.
A clear intention in bringing the case to court now is to have done with
the party ahead of Parliamentary elections in late May. Minister Pecina
again:
“The court received all of the material sufficiently ahead of time. If
there are any new facts brought forward by the Workers’ Party then of
course we could expect a postponement, but I don’t think that will
happen; I think all the evidence is on the table and that the Supreme
Administrative Court will decide on Thursday.”
If the government wins its case, the Workers’ Party would be the first
political party ever disbanded on the grounds of having violated democratic
values in the Czech Republic.
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“The neo-Nazis have been hit so hard recently that at present their
movement has been weakened enough as it is. I don’t think that this case
entails anything dramatic, but I think we should send a clear signal that
this kind of movement has no place in our system. But if it doesn’t work
out I don’t see it as a tragedy.”
“Under no circumstances have we ever presented ourselves as wanting to
suppress any minority, promoted neo-Nazism or done anything of the sort. We
have always emphasised that we are only interested in one thing – that
the laws of this country apply to everyone equally, regardless of
skin-colour. That is our priority, and that is what our platform is about;
I don’t think there is anything racist or discriminatory about it. This
court case is merely a political process intended to liquidate an
opposition political party that has been gaining in popularity and has more
and more support among citizens.”
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