11-12 June 2004
24 seats
Electoral system: party list system; proportional representation; threshold of 5%
Among the independent lists challenging the traditional parties, the list for the SN/ED (Association of Independent European Democrats) is the most likely to win a share of the 24 seats allocated to the country. The candidates do not share the same political opinions, but base themselves on a common idea: promoting Europe and its institutions. Some of its members are well-known to the Czech population. If they win seats, they might sit with the non-attached group. At the top of the list is a senator, Josef Zieleniec (58), followed by Jana Hybaskova (38), a diplomat, Tomas Zatloukal (34), head of a secondary school, Peter Appelt (38), an economist, Josef Holejsovsky (60), head of the Czech veterinary administration; then comes the youngest person on the list, Lukas Macek (28), followed by Marie Cenra (47), Vice-President of the Vysocina region, Jana Macakova (61), Chancellor of the University of Palackého, Premysl Rabas (39), director of a zoological park and Silvano Pedretti 539), a businessman.
Other independent lists are causing the Czech political class to gnash their teeth, starting with one headed by Vladimir Zelezny, the senator who founded and owns the largest private television station, which has been the subject of judicial proceedings on several occasions. This very popular figure is backed up by Madame Bobocikova, one of the star presenters from his station, and he may put the traditional parties in the shade.
In addition to this, there are lists whose motivations are as questionable as they are original, such as the Independent Erotic Initiative, lead by Dolly Buster, a Czech star of German pornographic film.
Among the traditional parties, the ODS seems to be the potential big winner in these elections and should gain a third of the vote, according to an expert on Czech politics. The Civic Democratic Party (ODS) have a similar direction to that of the British Conservatives, with whom they have considered forming an alliance and a new conservative eurosceptic group in the EP. The ODS list comprises: MP Jan Zahradil (41), former member of the European Convention who did not sign the draft constitution, he is the Vice-Chairman of the party and former Minister of Foreign Affairs; Petr Duhon (48), the Mayor of Brno; Miroslav Ouzsky (46), national MP and Chairman of the Czech delegation in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe; Hynek Fajmon (36), who was a member of the delegation of observers at the EP; Nina Skottova (58), Director of the Pharmacology Institute of Olomouc; Ivo Strejcek (42), a teacher and translator; Oldrich Vlasak (49), Mayor of Hradec Králové; Milan Cabrnoch (42), member of the Czech parliament; Ivan Knizatko (45), head of the company leading the modernisation of Ostrava-Mosnov airport; Jaroslav Zverina (62), a member of the Czech parliament.
The Czech right is also presenting a list combining two parties, the KDU and the CSL, under the name Union of Christian Democrats and which should come under the banner of the PPE-DE. The head of the list is a woman, Zuzana Roithova (51), a senator and former Minister for Health. Following her come: Jan Brezina (52), former Minister for Youth and Sport and Chairman of the Unicov region.; Pavel Jajtner (57), a diplomat; David Macek (28), a sociologist and parliamentary assistant; Vilem Holan (66), an observer in the EP and former Minister for Defence; Ondrej Benesik (28), an international relations expert; Boris Kreuzberg (54), head of a hospital; Jiri Karas (62), MP; Pavel Svoboda (42) and Ondrej Novak (49), both university professors.
The US-DEU, a coalition of the Union for Democratic Freedom and the Democratic Union affiliated to the PPE-DE, may not gain any seats, but they have the highest percentage of female candidates: Helena Roegnerova (49), a member of the Czech parliament; Jirina Novakova (59), a scientist; Tereza Brdecková, a writer.
On the left, the CSSD, the Social Democratic Party, is presenting a list composed of: Libor Roucek (50), observer at the EP, former spokesman for Vaclav Klaus and historic leader of the Czech trades unions; Richard Falbr (64), an observer at the EP; Milan Ekert (39), an observer at the EP and a member of the Czech parliament; Petr Lachnit (55), an observer, MP and former Minister for Regional Development; Bohumil Fiser (61), a physicist; Olga Sehnalova (36), also a physicist but also Elected Mayor of Kromeriz; Anna Curdova (42), a member of the Czech Parliament, active in the field of gender equality youth and culture; - Frantisek Mezihorak (67), Senator; - Jan Hamacek (26), economist; and Eva Novakova (49), Deputy in the Czech parliament.
Today, the communists are also seeking to make a come back. The KSCM (communist party of Bohemia and Moravia) hopes to win votes mentioning the regions of Bohemia and Moravia to awaken the patriotic instincts of the Czech people. The party could, according to some polls, win up to 13% of the votes. At the top of the KSCM list is Miloslav Ransdorf (51), Vice President of the Party, Deputy at the Czech parliament, who is part of the Party's pro-European wing. He is followed by Czech cosmonaut Vladimir Remek (56), who is today at the head of an aeronautics firm in Prague. Then there are: - Jaromir Kohlicek (51), Deputy; - Jiri Mastalka (54), Deputy; - Vera Flasarova (52), a teacher, and Daniel Stroz (61), a journalist.
The SZ Green list has very little chance of winning a seat. Nonetheless, the composition of the list at least for the first six candidates is out of the usual run of things. Jakub Patocka (31) is Editor in Chief of the Lettre Nouvelle; Jana Ulbrychova is a journalist; Frank Boldt is Director of the European Comenium Foundation; Olga Lomova Director of the Grand Lodge Institute at Charles University; Miroslav Zima, Director for a children's centre; and Zuzana Lapcikova, who plays cymbals and sings.