Infamous populist statements of Czech politicians

Infamous populist statements of Czech politicians
"You will have to get suntanned, be noisy and start a fire somewhere downtown," former mayor of the town of Vsetín and MP Jiří Čunek (Christian Democrats) said when asked by a tabloid paper reader if the Czech state plans to support financially all the Czech citizens just like it supports the Roma. Čunek was criticized by the U.S. state administration in their annual report on the country's human rights status. Čunek evicted 360 Roma families from downtown Vsetín and was accused of corruption.
"Unfortunately, I have to be concerned with Gypsies. Even if they all flew away [to Canada or Britain], they would soon have new babies anyway. So yes, you [white majority] are discriminated against, we all are discriminated, I totally agree with you. But there is nothing I can do about it... I do not agree with any kind of integration because I am a racist. I do not support integration of Gypsies within the district," Czech senator Liana Janáčková (Independent Movement) was recorded telling her fellow councilors. In the 1990s Janáčková also grabbed headlines by suggesting giving the local Roma money to buy plane tickets to Canada and Britain.
"It is only a certain type of people that keeps reproducing. There are forty of them living in one room with no basic hygiene standards. Just like a monkey, they learn to collect their monthly allowances in town halls. No legislation can correct that. They are a black vermin, a bunch of beasts. Go ahead and write that down wherever you want," city council member Tomáš Nepraš said when talking to journalists. In Břeclav several Roma families were moved to a cowshed after the city officials sold off the apartment building, in which they lived.
"Come on, Gadjos [Romani word for non-Roma], work hard, so we can a have better life!" was a pre-election slogan of Jiří Šulc, former head of the Ústí region, hinting that Roma people do not want to work. Zobrazit 6 fotografií
Foto: Ondřej Besperát
Veronika Lehovcová Suchá Veronika Lehovcová Suchá, Naďa Straková
22. 7. 2009 14:24

Some of the Czech politicians made headlines and build careers on anti-Roma statements. Experts have lately warned that by tolerating these biased statements we run a risk of far-right extremists following the populist politicians, which soon could win them public support.

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