Czech Social Democrats bank on EU elections for party revival

5 months ago 24

Long below the electoral threshold and currently without seats in the national parliament, the Czech Social Democracy Party (SOCDEM) hopes the European elections in June will lead to a revival.

SOCDEM is not represented in the parliament and has only one representative in the European Parliament – MEP Radka Maxová. However, Maxová was initially elected whilst representing ANO (Renew) and then switched to the Socialists.

The socialists’ hopes are now pinned on the European Parliament elections, which will be held on 8 and 9 June. The list of candidates will be headed by the matador of Czech politics, Lubomír Zaorálek, who previously served as the country’s foreign minister.

“On 8 June, the resurrection of Social Democracy will come (…). I am sure that SOCDEM is beginning its return to the political scene. Not only in Europe but also in the Czech Republic,” Zaorálek said on Saturday as the party officially launched its EU election campaign.

One of the main themes of the SOCDEM campaign, for example, is the economic convergence of poorer and richer EU countries.

“Together with the European social democrats, we want to push for the directive on minimum wages and decent work to be binding on member states. Together, we want to fight against the export of untaxed profits from the member states where the wealth is created,” Zaorálek explained.

SOCDEM lost its spot in government and parliament after the 2021 elections, as most of its voters turned to the populist ANO party. According to the April STEM/MARK poll, the EU elections could have a similar outcome.

The poll predicts SOCDEM will receive 3.4% of the vote, below the 5% threshold required to obtain seats in the European Parliament. An earlier Ipsos poll in March estimated a similar result, giving the party 2.7% of the vote.

But the will to make a comeback remains strong.

“I have one goal: to get SOCDEM into the European Parliament. We are determined to do everything for it,” Zaorálek promised.

Nicolas Schmidt, the Socialist candidate for the European Commission presidency and current European commissioner for employment and social rights, endorsed SOCDEM’s priorities at the campaign launch in Prague.

“Europe must be strong. The human dimension, human rights, that is social democracy. There is a strong social democratic tradition in Europe. Czech social democrats must not be absent from the European Parliament,” he stressed.

According to Europe Elects’ fresh seat projections, the Socialists & Democrats (S&D) could obtain 139 seats and remain the second largest group after the European People’s Party (EPP).

(Aneta Zachová, Kateřina Zichová | Euractiv.cz)