“Social Democracy takes note of the information about the decision of the Supreme Administrative Court. On the part of representatives of the Czech Sovereignty, this is repeated deceptive behavior. An example is the misuse of the name of the Pro Prague movement to register a candidate of the same name in the 2014 municipal elections.” SOCDEM chairman Michal Šmarda told ČTK.
He stated that the party will continue to protect its rights and that, according to him, it is necessary to amend the electoral legislation and the rules for the registration of parties and candidate lists. “The situation where, in addition to the Social Democracy and the coalition abusing the acronym ČSSD, two candidates beginning with the word “YES” and two candidates beginning with the word “PRO” are registered, testify to the need for such an amendment,added Šmarda.
“Sovereignty (Free Block, Bobošík Block, Head Up, Home Defense) uses our former acronym: For me, it is important that Social Democracy is not associated with swindlers, liars and quacks. I don’t mind them running. It bothers me that they claim to be social democrats,” Šmarda later added on the X social network.
Arguments about time
The Czech Social Democratic Party used the abbreviation ČSSD when it was a parliamentary and government party. It then changed its name to Social Democracy and its abbreviation to SOCDEM. The original abbreviation was adopted by the political party ČSSD – Czech Sovereignty of Social Democracy, which, together with the Smér Česká republika movement and the Domov party, is part of the ČSSD coalition for the European elections.
The Electoral Senate pointed out that the coalition did not start using the ČSSD abbreviation until registration in the elections to the European Parliament, but has it registered in the register of political parties and movements since June 2023. “The cancellation of the registration of a political entity for elections due to the interchangeability of its name is a very serious interference with the constitutionally guaranteed right to vote and it is possible to approach it only in exceptional cases, if there was no other procedural means of legal protection. In this case, however, the name of the ČSSD coalition corresponds to the abbreviation and part of the name of one of the political parties that make it up. That is the crux of the dispute. At the same time, this name and this abbreviation of the political party are validly entered in the register of political parties and movements, and this entry has not been legally challenged.” stated the NSS in a press release.
According to him, SOCDEM should have opposed the registration of the ČSSD abbreviation much earlier, either through an action against illegal interference or an action to protect the title in civil court proceedings. But she didn’t do any of that.
“The contested decision of the ministry on the registration of the candidate list of the ČSSD coalition for the European Parliament elections therefore corresponds to the undisputed status of the registration of one of the political parties that is part of the coalition in the register of political parties and movements, and is thus in accordance with the law.” stated the chairman of the election senate, Tomáš Langášek.
SOCDEM is going to the European elections independently, the leader is former deputy and minister Lubomír Zaorálek. The ČSSD coalition is led by Jiří Paroubekformer prime minister for the Social Democrats, then appearing under the abbreviation ČSSD, now as SOCDEM.
Senator Miroslava Němcová is now mocking the confusion. “In the resulting confusion, the leaders of the former and current ČSSD, Paroubek and Zaorálek, can fight each other. And not a single one will make it to the EP. Two good news in one,” said X on the social network.
