Workers' Party of Social Justice
Workers' Party of Social Justice Dělnická strana sociální spravedlnosti | |
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Abbreviation | DSSS |
Leader | Tomáš Vandas |
Founded | February 2010 |
Preceded by | Workers' Party |
Headquarters | Ciolkovského 853, 161 00 Praha 6 |
Newspaper | Workers' List |
Youth wing | Workers' Youth |
Paramilitary wing | Civic Guards[1] |
Ideology | |
Political position | Far-right[2][3][7][8] |
European affiliation | Alliance for Peace and Freedom |
Colours | Black, Red, White |
Website | |
www | |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4f/Tom%C3%A1%C5%A1_Vandas_Foto.jpg/150px-Tom%C3%A1%C5%A1_Vandas_Foto.jpg)
The Workers' Party of Social Justice (Czech: Dělnická strana sociální spravedlnosti) is a Czech political party, often described as the major far-right extremist party in the Czech Republic. The party is not represented in any legislative body in the Czech Republic and its biggest electoral success so far has been a gain of 1.14% in the Czech legislative election in 2010. Some of the high-ranking party officials, including a Prague party leader, have been associated with neo-Nazi groups such as Národní odpor, the Czech subsidiary of an international militant neo-Nazi group.[9][10] In spring 2009 the petition for the ban on the party was dismissed by the Czech Supreme Administrative Court,[11] because, as the presiding judge stated, the applicant (Czech government) didn't manage to provide sufficient evidence in what was seen as a botched application.[12][13] Following violent attacks against Czech minorities by far-right extremists[14] (such as the Vítkov arson attack of 2009), the government filed a more detailed petition for the ban, which was discussed by the Czech Supreme Court in January and February 2010. The party was banned, making it the first instance of banning a party for its ideology in the modern history of the Czech Republic.[15] The party was transformed into a "Party of Citizens of the Czech Republic"[16] and the party was renamed to Workers' Party of Social Justice. The party's program was kept the same with small adjustments.
Ideology and program
[edit]This section may rely excessively on sources too closely associated with the subject, potentially preventing the article from being verifiable and neutral. (March 2023) |
The party was formed in 2003 and received less than 1% of the vote in its first election, but shortly afterwards attracted major media attention for organizing riots in quarters of Litvínov with a significant Roma population.[17][18] Afterwards, the party has managed to maintain considerable publicity by organizing a march against homosexuals[19] in Tábor.
The party then started to emphasize a nationalist dimension of its program, mostly seeking to overhaul what they see as a favorable treatment of minorities, and engaged in radically anti-communist rhetoric; on the 20th anniversary of the collapse of Communism in Czechoslovakia, the party leader Tomáš Vandas said: "So what is the state of the society nowadays? In one word: tragic. Communists still govern us."[20]
The party has repeatedly called for the overthrow and subversion of the Czech political system, which the party describes both as "liberal"[21] and "totalitarian".[22] Its official slogan for the 2009 European elections was "Resist the totalitarian regime".
The party's program includes reducing national debt while increasing old age pensions and reducing the retirement age.[23] Some of the more concrete proposals include restrictions on foreign investment, including a total ban on purchases of real estate by foreign nationals[23] and nationalization of certain companies.[24]
The party also wants to restore the death penalty,[24] criminalize "sexual deviation", including homosexuality,[24] abolish registered partnership, reduce rights of criminal defendants[24] and in some cases create new crimes with a retroactive effect.[24] Some of the most controversial proposals include marking of ethnicity in ID cards[25] and giving the police discretion to treat the arrested person inhumanly.[24]
In international affairs, the party opposes NATO and the European Union, and demands that the Czech Republic leave those organizations.[25] The party is strongly anti-American and seems to be pro-Russian,[26] going as far as stating that the Czech Republic must "immediately and strongly restore its relations with Russia".[27] Concerning other matters in international affairs, the chairman of the party arbitration commission congratulated Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran after his victory in the 2009 presidential election.[28]
Election results
[edit]Czech legislative election
[edit]Year | # of total votes | Vote % | Seats |
---|---|---|---|
2010 | 59,888 | 1.14 (10)![]() | 0 |
2013 | 42,906 | 0.86 (12)![]() | 0 |
2017 | 10,402 | 0.20 (16) ![]() | 0 |
European Parliament
[edit]Election | List leader | Votes | % | Seats | +/− | EP Group |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2014[a] | Tomáš Vandas | 7,902 | 0.52 (#15) | 0 / 22 | New | − |
2019[b] | 4,363 | 0.18 (#23) | 0 / 22 | ![]() | ||
2024[c] | Hynek Blaško | 14,910 | 0.50 (#12) | 0 / 22 | ![]() |
References
[edit]- ^ "DSSS obnovila činnost svých stranických hlídek". ct24.ceskatelevize.cz. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f Mareš, Miroslav (2012). "Right-Wing Extremism in the Czech Republic" (PDF). Friedrich Ebert Foundation. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
- ^ a b Lochmannová, Alena; Kolář, Ondřej (2021). Extremism Behind Bars. Pilsen: Západočeská univerzita. p. 83. ISBN 9788026110248.
- ^ Cameron, Rob (4 May 2017). "Photo of Czech girl Scout standing up to skinhead goes viral". BBC News. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
- ^ Bardovic, Jaroslav; Mihalik, Jakub (2019). Migration: The Challenge of European States. Stuttgart: ibidem. p. 138. ISBN 9783838213446.
- ^ Rosenfeld, Alvin H. (2019). Anti-Zionism and Antisemitism: The Dynamics of Delegitimization. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press. p. 425. ISBN 9780253038722.
- ^ Lansford, Tom (2015). Political Handbook of the World 2015. New York City: CQ Press. ISBN 9781483371559.
Originally formed as the Worker's Party, a far-right grouping led by Tomaše VANDASE
- ^ Deland, Mats; Minkenberg, Michael; Mays, Christin (2014). In the Tracks of Breivik: Far Right Networks in Northern and Eastern Europe. Münster: LIT Verlag. p. 79. ISBN 9783643905420.
- ^ [1]. Workers' Party election candidates and Nazi symbols (only in Czech, with photographs)
- ^ [2]. Workers' Party has been taken over by neo-Nazis (only in Czech)
- ^ [3]. Supreme administrative court judgment, 4.3.2009 (only in Czech)
- ^ [4]. Top court rejects government's petition to ban extremist Workers' Party
- ^ [5]. (only in Czech)
- ^ [6]. Czech Police arrested extremist leaders over Vítkov arson
- ^ "Soud zrušil Dělnickou stranu. Chtěla rozvrátit stát - Aktuálně.cz". 17 February 2010.
- ^ "Zakázaná Dělnická strana půjde do voleb, jen pod jinou hlavičkou - Domov". Lidovky.cz. 20 February 2010.
- ^ [7]. Litvinov has seen a rough fight with the extremists, 15 injured. (only in Czech)
- ^ [8]. Journalist injured while covering rally
- ^ [9]. Saturday in Tabor: both gays and extremists (only in Czech)
- ^ [10]. Speech of the party chairman, November 17, 2009 (only in Czech)
- ^ [11]. Workers news: "Let's clean up our own country". (Official party newspaper, only in Czech)
- ^ [12]. Workers news: "Vandas: The post-November regime has discredited itself". (Official party newspaper, only in Czech)
- ^ a b [13]. Party program, article III
- ^ a b c d e f [14]. Party program, article II
- ^ a b [15]. Party program, article I
- ^ [16]. Workers news: "Nobody really wants a change?" (Official party newspaper, only in Czech)
- ^ [17]. Workers news: "Confession of a patriot and a good son of the Homeland" (Official party newspaper, only in Czech)
- ^ [18]. Workers news: "Who do you want to lecture?" (Official party newspaper, only in Czech)