Czech Catholic bishops reacted cautiously to the results of parliamentary elections in early October as the victors sought to form a governing coalition.
Archbishop Josef Nuzík of Olomouc, the chairman of the Czech Bishops’ Conference, called on newly elected deputies “to build bridges, be sensitive to the weak and needy, honestly seek the truth, strive for understanding in society, and be ready to defend the rule of law and a just peace”, in the Church’s first public statement after the elections on 3-4 October.
The ANO Movement of billionaire businessman Andrej Babis won the parliamentary elections but fell short of an overall majority. Facing boycott from the outgoing government coalition, Babis – who served as prime minister in 2017-21 – immediately began talks with two small right-wing Eurosceptic parties: the anti-Green Deal “Motorists for Themselves” and the anti-immigrant “Freedom and Direct Democracy” (SPD) party.
Talks on forming the new government ran into serious difficulties after the Czech daily Deník N published what it alleged were deleted Facebook posts by the former racing driver Filip Turek, the Motorists’ honorary chairman tipped as Babis’ foreign minister.
Turek denied authorship of the posts, which contained openly racist, sexist and homophobic comments, and dismissed them as “a disgusting smear campaign” against him. Deník N defended its report and police opened an investigation into the posts, while other reports revealed information on Turek’s alleged violent behaviour. The scandal caused an outcry from Czech public personalities.
“The participation of the author of outrageous and unacceptable statements in the government of the Czech Republic would rank us among the deplorable nations,” said an open letter signed by former anti-Communist dissidents, including the retired Prague auxiliary Bishop Vaclav Maly.
“We wish this country a quality government that will not be bound by scandals from the very beginning of its existence,” the letter said, maintaining that its statement was consistent with respect for the election results.
“He defines himself in a rude manner towards those who differ in skin colour or sexual orientation,” Bishop Maly told The Tablet. “We cannot remain silent about this at a time when Mr Turek is seeking a position in the government.”