Rally for the Republic – Republican Party of Czechoslovakia

The Rally for the Republic – Republican Party of Czechoslovakia (Czech: Sdružení pro republiku - Republikánská strana Československa, abbreviated to Republikáni or SPR–RSČ) is a minor political party in the Czech Republic, strongly opposed to the EU, NATO and immigration. The party and its leader Miroslav Sládek are particularly known for their radical attitudes towards Roma people (antiziganism) and Germans.

Rally for the Republic – Republican Party of Czechoslovakia
Sdružení pro republiku – Republikánská strana Československa
LeaderMiroslav Sládek
Founded1989 (2016)
HeadquartersŠtefánikova 50, Brno
Youth wingRepublican Youth
Ideology
Political positionFar-right[3][7][8][9]
European affiliationEuronat
Colours     
White, Red, Blue
Party flag
Flag of the Rally for the Republic – Republican Party of Czechoslovakia
Website
http://www.spr-rsc.cz/

History

The party was founded on December 30, 1989 as one of the first political parties in post-communist Czechoslovakia. It peaked in the 1996 Czech legislative election with 8% of the vote (485,072 electors, 18 seats in the 200-seat Chamber of Deputies) but declined after that, and in 2001 disbanded due to financial irregularities – specifically the theft of party funds by the chairman, who used the money to fund his luxury lifestyle.[10]

The party was reestablished in 2001 as Republicans of Miroslav Sládek (RMS, Republikáni Miroslava Sládka). Sládek immediately set up a new party; to distinguish it from the other "republican" parties his name was added. The new party failed to attract a significant number of votes (0.9% during 2002 Czech legislative election was the highest). For the 2006 elections RMS joined with the National Party, which obtained 0.1% of votes. The number of active members was estimated to be in the dozens at most.[11]

On May 17, 2008 this new party merged with five other minor parties to form the SPR–RSČ. The renewed party chose Sládek as chairman, yet even after the merger the party failed to gain political traction. For non-compliance with statutory obligations, the Supreme Administrative Court of the Czech Republic (acting on a Czech government proposal) decided in December 2010 to temporarily suspend the Republican party's activities. Finally, on 15 May 2013, the Court ordered its complete dissolution.

The party was reestablished once again in February 2016 under the name Rally for the Republic – Republican Party of Czechoslovakia 2016.[12]

Election results

Czech National Council

YearVoteVote %SeatsPlace
199072,0481.00
0 / 200
10th
1992387,026 5.98
14 / 200
6th

Slovak National Council

YearVoteVote %SeatsPlace
19907,0230.21
0 / 150
13th
199210,069 0.33
0 / 150
16th

Chamber of Deputies

YearVoteVote %SeatsPlace
1996485,072 8.01
18 / 200
5th
1998232,965 3.90
0 / 200
6th
200246,325 0.97
0 / 200
7th
2006[13]9,341 0.18
0 / 200
15th
20101,993 0.03
0 / 200
19th
20179,857 0.19
0 / 200
17th

European Parliament

YearVoteVote %SeatsPlace
200415,7670.67
0 / 24
11th
20097,492 0.32
0 / 24
19th
20194,284 0.18
0 / 24
24th

Presidential

Indirect ElectionCandidateFirst round resultSecond round resultThird round result
Votes%VotesResultVotes%VotesResultVotes%VotesResult
1993Miroslav Sládek148.13rd place
1998Miroslav Sládek2312.53rd place

References