Greens want govt coalition to meet over deputy PM Cunek

The presidium of the junior ruling Green Party has asked Czech PM Mirek Topolanek (Civic Democrats, ODS) to call a government coalition meeting to discuss the controversial statements of deputy PM Jiri Cunek (Christian Democrats, KDU-CSL, head) and his further continuance in the cabinet, Greens chairman Martin Bursik told reporters today.

The Greens say that Cunek’s words on Romanies harm the government’s trustworthiness.

The Greens have unanimously agreed to call a meeting of coalition leaders (K9) though Cunek apologised for his latest statement. They mind that Cunek accompanied the apology by other statements on Romanies that are unacceptable as well, Bursik said.

The Greens are of convinced that Cunek’s stances provoke hatred in society and are at variance with the cabinet’s’policy concerning minorities.

The Greens recall that their minister Dzamila Stehlikova and not Cunek is in charge of the government Romany integration programme.

“This is a very sensitive topic for us since human rights are one of the two main pillars of our policy,” said Bursik.

Asked whether the Greens would demand Cunek’s resignation, Bursik said that it was apparent from the context what position his party would submit at the coalition meeting.

Cunek’s statements have been criticised as “xenophobic” by the senior ruling right-wing ODS and the opposition left, the Social Democrats (CSSD) and the Communists (KSCM). Romany activists have sharply opposed them, too.

Cunek, who is also local development minister and senator, defended himself saying that his words were quoted out of context and misunderstood.

Cunek’s statements were published in Friday’s issue of the Blesk tabloid where he reacted to a question whether other people would receive state subsidies similar to those given to Romanies.

“For this they would have to get sunburnt [alluding to Romanies’ skin colour], make a mess with their family, put up fires on town squares and only then some politicians would say – they are really miserable people,” Blesk quoted Cunek as saying.

Romany activists said that Cunek’s words are unacceptable in a decent society. Representatives of 16 Romany organisations on Friday called on Topolanek to publicly distance himself from Cunek whose solution to Romany problems they call “the beginning of clerical fascism in the Czech Republic.”

Cunek today apologised to those who felt offended by his statements on Romanies in a discussion programme on Prima TV, but he at the same time said that they did not understand his words.

Cunek has been already called to resign over the accusation of corruption. However, he pleads innocent and has refused to step down from the government posts and the KDU-CSL helm.

Cunek drew the public and media attention before the local elections last year, when he as the mayor of Vsetin, north Moravia, relocated local Romanies, allegedly rent-defaulters, from a dilapidated house in the Vsetin centre to a new house made of tin container-like houses on the town’s outskirts, while further Romany families were sent away from Vsetin and resettled elsewhere in Moravia.

Cunek was criticised by human rights activists for this step, but according to polls, his popularity among voters increased. Now his popularity is declining.