Miroslav Kováč: Is the Czech state quietly preparing a civil war?

Ever since it took office, the governing coalition has been sending clear signals to us citizens about what its real intentions are. Let’s recall what one of the first steps was that the ministers took. The Transport Minister immediately halted all work on the roads. Excellent, there’s no money – and then the money was suddenly found. How is that possible? You’re probably wondering how. Did they reach an agreement? Did they also want some baksheesh? That’s right, it was arbitration. That’s what it took to remind them of their contractual obligations.

Then we had the scandal with the Environment Minister and his attempt to commit highway robbery in broad daylight – but who will take him to court over that? What about his immunity? That’s right – it was a bureaucrat who made an error. Nothing really happened, the crime wasn’t even carried out in the end – there wasn’t time. Maybe this “envelope scandal” doesn’t mean anything, even inside the VV party where it happened – this is a democracy, after all, and a politician can vote his conscience. The main thing is that his conscience make money for the party. I’d reward him too (and even use an envelope, why not?).

From the very beginning, this government has undergone one scandal after another and one crisis after another. It is losing the support of its own voters through its governance and “reform” laws. The situation is rather serious and the coalition is starting to feel it legs buckling under it. They’re waiting for the voters to add this all up during the next election. The opinion polls are clear. How much time do they have? Any at all? How short a time do they have to add value to their positions as best they can – for themselves, or for a falling party?

This is a dilemma for the wise – but dilemmas are no problem for this government, we have one wise man after another there. We have the best economist of all time, who is already giving us advice, and if he stops, we still have an independent president. By the way, the president has already sent out his people to prepare the ground, if not already the funding, for his triumphant return as an MP. There’s money at the Education Ministry, after all, and the janitors aren’t going to complain – but enough (D.O.S.T.) of that!

This government has found an efficient way out of this swamp, a way to score political points and detract attention away from its own “crimes”, those “vitally important” laws and reforms which they are quietly passing in the meantime without the citizens noticing. Let’s not be surprised that laws adopted today wil only take effect when they are no longer here. Why should they worry? The Seychelles will make sure no one will hang anything on them there.

Just so I don’t change the subject to the Indian Ocean: The method in question consists of telling people what they want to “hear”. What the nation hears is homophobia, racism, xenophobia – simply, hatred of those who are different, especially those whose social values aren’t the same as those hooked on comfort, living in some sort of social insecurity with their full mugs of beer and their hot dogs.

On the model of the extremist-oriented populist Vandas and his DSSS, suddenly the media has started to focus exclusively on crimes committed by the unwanted minority. This has even gone so far as to cause famous people (e.g., Czech President Klaus, Senator Doubrava and others) to excuse or minimize an intentionally planned and committed crime by publicly expressing their dissatisfaction with the length of the sentences handed down to the neo-Nazi perpetrators of brutal arson against a sleeping family. They then compare that attack to the recent machete attack in Nový Bor, which was not committed out of the same motivation, even though it was brutal and inexcusable. Which deserves more punishment? Machetes in Nový Bor or the knife in Mukařov?

I’m not claiming Romani people don’t commit serious felonies. After all, aren’t perpetrators eventually identified? Do only exclusively Romani people commit felonies? Do all Romani people commit them? If so – as is so often asserted here – then I could claim, on the basis of one case or hundreds of cases, that all Czechs are also inadaptable murderers and racists.

What is the justice system for? Why don’t we just hold public hearings somewhere on the square and put on trial all these corrupt politicians “by the law of the people”? In Rumburk, the next day after the famous incident that was reported there, four ethnic Czechs dressed as baseball players beat up a Romani man for no reason at all. Luckily they left his pregnant wife out of it. Why don’t we compare that with Vítkov? Did they want to just tickle that Romani guy with the baseball bat, or did they want to separate his head from his body?

Back to the topic at hand: The politicians’ policy clearly shows the intention of such statements. The intention is to prompt unrest in society, even to incite racial intolerance, which is merely meant to detract attention from the government’s corruption, laws, and reforms. If they haven’t managed to prompt social unrest yet, they are heading in that direction. What is easier than finding a scapegoat? The Roma are evidently responsible for everything: They have robbed the republic, written poor laws, according to which they are now prosecuting people, and instituted reforms that disadvantage people.

So: The enemy is clear, and now we’re going to reduce citizens’ security by taking CZK 1.4 billion out of the police budget so people won’t have protection and tensions will rise. The government airplane is very familiar with the way to the Indian coast. After all, Senator Doubrava and his army can always be called on to deal with the Roma.