Legislative Elections Near

The Czech Government has been in the spotlight since the corruption and bribery scandal in June 2013. Prime Minister Petr Necas was forced to resign. The president scheduled the recent legislative elections to reallocate seats in Parliament.

            This election is very different from the elections in the United States from my perspective, as an American College student studying abroad. The parties represent the entire political spectrum. The power is in the hands of the people to elect the right Political Party. Prague under communist-rule seems like a thing of the past, however the threat still lingers as the Communist Party holds seats in Parliament.

Vaclav Havel helped the Czech Republic end communism and promoted liberty after the fall of the Berlin Wall. The country has made great strides since 1989, and this is noticeable on the people’s faces walking on the street. However, the Czech Republic is home to the last Communist Party out of the former countries that once made up the Soviet Bloc. The presence of communism is still around us and is easily remembered by the older generation. In this year’s election, the Communist Party placed third and received 15 percent of the vote. As a Student living abroad, I have no access to television to watch the debates. However, I have noticed that every streetlight hangs a poster that supports a different party in the election. Andrej Babis and his slogan “Ano” certainly occupy the most space, and for a new party he gained an impressive amount of seats in Parliament.

            Many Czechs are still angry about the corruption that has plagued the government in the past years. This disapproval of the government was seen in the voting turnout, and in the giant middle figure that was placed in the Charles River and points directly at the Prague Castle. The Government of the Czech Republic needs to be more transparent, so that it can regain the trust of its people.