Public Affairs (political party)

Public Affairs
Věci veřejné
ChairmanFredegar Formen
Stanislava Moravcová
Jaroslav Škárka
Radek John
Vít Bárta
Jiří Kohout
Founded22 July 2002
Dissolved12 November 2015
HeadquartersŠtefánikova 23/203,
Prague 5
NewspaperVěci veřejné
IdeologyConservative liberalism[1][2][3]
Direct democracy[2][4]
Populism[5][6]
Political positionCentre[6][7][8] to centre-right[4][9][10]
Colours  Light blue

Public Affairs (Czech: Věci veřejné, VV, nicknamed véčkaři) was a political party in the Czech Republic.[11][12][13] Its main platform was transparency and opposition to political corruption. It had 24 seats in the 2010–2013 Chamber of Deputies. The party was led by anti-establishment investigative journalist and writer Radek John,[14] and later by Jiří Kohout.

Besides opposing corruption, the party shares the fiscally conservative views of the other centre-right parties.[7] It had a number of right-wing populist policies.[15] The party lacked of a coherent ideology and gained voters across the political spectrum.[6] The party was supportive of direct democracy – the members of the party could change the course of the party by Internet referendums – and was pro-European Union.[4]

  1. ^ Election 2010: New Czech Centre-Right Government Assumes Power, Eyes Reforms, IHS Global Insight, 14 July 2010, archived from the original on 12 June 2012, retrieved 13 October 2012
  2. ^ a b Nordsieck, Wolfram (2013). "Czech Republic". Parties and Elections in Europe. Archived from the original on 19 October 2013.
  3. ^ Frank Chibulka (2012). "The Czech Republic". In Donnacha O Beachain; Vera Sheridan; Sabina Stan (eds.). Life in Post-Communist Eastern Europe after EU Membership. Routledge. p. 36. ISBN 978-1-136-29981-0.
  4. ^ a b c Marek, Dan, The Czech Republic and the European Union, Routledge 2010, p. 45
  5. ^ Stojarová, Věra (2011), "Paramilitary Structures in Eastern Europe", The Extreme Right in Europe: Current Trends and Perspectives, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, p. 276
  6. ^ a b c Havlík, Vlastimil; Voda, Petr (16 April 2018). "Cleavages, Protest or Voting for Hope? The Rise of Centrist Populist Parties in the Czech Republic". Swiss Political Science Review. 24 (2): 161–186. doi:10.1111/spsr.12299.
  7. ^ a b Mueller, Robert; Mlcochova, Jana (29 May 2010). "Centre-right wins Czech election on austerity plan". Reuters.
  8. ^ "Czech president appoints new PM". Irish Examiner. 28 June 2010.
  9. ^ Vazac, Rene (2011), "Czech Republic: Crisis Postponed - Navigation to Recovery", Financial Crisis in Eastern Europe: Road to Recovery, Gabler, p. 158
  10. ^ Bakke, Elisabeth (2011), "The Czech Party System: 20 Years after the Velvet Revolution", 20 Years Since the Fall of the Berlin Wall: Transitions, State Break-Up and Democratic Politics in Central Europe and Germany, BWV, p. 228
  11. ^ Gardner, Andrew (30 June 2010). "Deal struck on Czech government". European Voice. Archived from the original on 12 July 2010.
  12. ^ Watson, Peggy (2 September 2010). "Czech female MPs have reduced politics by posing as pin-ups". The Guardian.
  13. ^ "Election 2010: New Czech Centre-Right Government Assumes Power, Eyes Reforms". Global Insight. 14 July 2010. Retrieved 3 December 2010.[dead link]
  14. ^ Fraňková, Ruth (31 May 2010). "Public Affairs party remains a mystery to many". Radio Prague.
  15. ^ Klausmann, Alexandra (21 May 2010). "Tschechien: Jugend vereint gegen Linksparteien". Wiener Zeitung (in German). Archived from the original on 6 June 2011.