Czech intelligence says extremist movements stagnated last year

The Czech Security Information Service (Bezpečnostní informační služba – BIS) has issued its annual report for 2010. The report says extremist movements in the country stagnated last year and that the neo-Nazi scene even underwent a deep crisis marked in particular by the dissolving of the Workers’ Party (Dělnická strana – DS) and disputes between the older and younger generations of right-wing extremists. The secret service says the activities of the nationalist scene last year were insignificant. They also did not note any marked developments in either the anarchist movement or the Marxist-Leninist scene.

BIS reports that the Czech neo-Nazi scene, after a previous period of growth, underwent a deep crisis in 2010. “Developments were marked by police interventions during the previous year and the court decision to dissolve the Workers’ Party (Dělnická strana – DS). Under the influence of a society-wide crusade against right-wing extremists, most of their activities were gradually suppressed,” the annual report reads.

The number of public demonstrations by extremists fell sharply, as did the number of extremist concerts. The number of smaller private events grew – including participation in events in neighboring states – and internet communication grew in significance, especially through the Facebook social networking site. “The internet has become their most important propaganda platform,” BIS warns.

The operations and structure of the right-wing extremist movement have also changed. Neo-Nazis have started creating smaller, more closed groups to prevent infiltration. The crisis has also manifested itself in disputes between older and younger disciples of neo-Nazism. Young activists have advocated for introducing new trends of self-presentation into the movement such as graffiti or hip-hop, which conservatives and older disciples consider a betrayal of their ideals.

According to the secret service, 2010 caused an earthquake in the Workers’ Party (DS), which was dissolved by the Supreme Administrative Court in February. Even though the party’s role on the scene was soon taken up by the Workers’ Social Justice Party (Dělnická strana sociální spravedlnosti – DSSS), which most of the DS members joined, the DSSS adjusted its political program out of concern that it might be prosecuted again and avoided making inflammatory speeches in public. The party also avoided connections with neo-Nazis, but that led to disagreements between the leadership and local party cells. The party’s operations were also influenced by their lack of success in the municipal elections last fall.

The National Resistance group (Národní odpor – NO), which previously was the most important neo-Nazi organization in the country, was also in crisis during 2010. With a few exceptions, all of its local cells were practically non-operational. “The crisis on the Czech right-wing extremist scene evidently had the least impact on Autonomous Nationalists (Autonomní nacionalisty – AN) working locally. Even though they too encountered many problems, they should be considered a comparatively functional group, as attested to by the public gatherings they convened during the year,” BIS reports.

Compared to the neo-Nazi scene, the activities of the Czech nationalist scene were insignificant last year. “Czech nationalists lack a long-term concept and strategy,” the annual report reads. The National Party (Národní strana), once the best-known party on the nationalist scene, ceased activity at the end of 2009 and start of 2010.