Štefan Tišer (SRP), Romani candidate to the Czech lower house: We have a good chance of getting in
An unusually high number of Romani people are running in this year’s early elections compared to years past. The monthly Romano voďi, published by the ROMEA association, has done its best to interview all the candidates running for the lower house and will run those interviews in addition to publishing analytical material about the elections.
News server Romea.cz will be gradually publishing these interviews. We consider these elections to be important, key, and we hope to bring you the opinions of all those asking for your vote.
This interview introduces Štefan Tišer, chair of the Equal Opportunities Party (Strana rovných příležitostí – SRP). Tišer is running on the Green Party list in Ústí Region in fifth place.
Q: Why the SRP? Have you ever been a member of a different political group before this?
A: The SRP arose at the instigation of Romani people because of the current situation in the Czech Republic. There was a direct challenge for us to finally act on our own behalf so that others don’t negotiate about us without us. I was also in the Roma Civic Initiative (ROI) when it began.
Q: What chance, in your opinion, does the SRP have in the early elections in general and in your region in particular?
A: Generally we have a rather big chance because we made an agreement with the Green Party, whose party is almost identical to ours. I think we have a rather high chance of getting into the lower house. Other political parties reached out to us, but the Greens won.
Q: This year rather a lot of Romani people are running for various parties. What do you make of this?
A: I’m glad that Romani people have finally stood up and are going to fight not just for themselves, but mainly for a better life for our children – they are our future and we must do everything we can for them so that they don’t reproach us someday for not doing something when we had the opportunity. That’s why I’m glad the Roma are going into this fight.
Q: If elected, should the Romani candidates collaborate across party lines?
A: If the Romani candidates get there – and we’ll see in what numbers – then I believe we are all going into this with the same program. It’s plain enough to see that we will be on the same team.
Q: What does Romanipen mean to you?
A: Romanipen is a heritage passed from one generation to the next, and pride in that heritage.
Q: What do politics and your participation in them symbolize for you?
A: Politics and participation in it means to me that we are finally acting on our own behalf, not letting others decide about us without us.
These interviews will be published in the print edition of Romano voďi magazine, the October edition of which will feature edited versions of all of these interviews (in Czech only). You can order a copy of the October edition at romea@romea.cz.
