The National guard formed by Czech nationalist party has uniforms

The semi-military organisation National Guard that the Czech ultra-right National Party (NS) formed in end-October was choosing its future uniforms last weekend, the NS reports on its web page.

Interior minister Ivan Langer (Civic Democrats, ODS) said previously he considered the emergence of the guards inadmissible. He said the police would carefully monitor the National Guard (more here…).

Frantisek Bublan (opposition Social Democrats), chairman of the Chamber of Deputies security committee, and Slovak President Ivan Gasparovic have sharply criticised the guard (more here…).

The NS founded the national guard on October 28 at a meeting celebrating the establishment of the independent Czechoslovak state in 1918.

The NS says the guard is not armed, but is based on a "strict military principle. "Assistance and help to the homeland" is to be its main activity.

"It is a semi-military organised group that will serve not only our meetings, but also during natural disasters," NS chairwoman Petra Edelmannova has said.

Political scientist Miroslav Mares, who specialises in nationalism and radical groups, said previously, however, that the guard would nave neither equipment nor experiences nor training to help during floods. Unless the state and institutions designed to help the afflicted, the guard will not get scope to do anything, he said.

According to the web page, the National Guard members would wear incomplete field uniforms of the Czech armed forces and caps and belts that the military does not use.

The uniform will be fitted with insignia, information about blood group and the guardsman’s name.
Bublan said previously that the Interior Ministry should have proposed the abolition of the National Guard.
Langer conceded that the preparation of the National Guard might result in the party’s ban, but the ministry needs a proof of breach a law.

NS spokesman Pavel Sedlacek told CTK that the party now registers about 1000 membership applications, and that 30 to 40 new applicants come every day.

The fundamental criteria for admission include loyalty to the Czech Republic, fitness, devotion to the guard principles and passing the admission interview.

Gasparovic said previously similar grouping may encourage extremists in Slovakia as well. Slovak auhtorities banned the extremist Slovak Togethernees-National Party grouping ahead of last year’s general election.

Its members demonstrated in uniforms reminding of those of the semi-military Hlinka guard under the wartime Nazi-sponsored Slovak state.

Gasparovic had criticised the semi-military Hungarian Guard which the extra-parliamentary movement Jobbik founded in the summer (more here…).