Coalition for Republic – Republican Party of Czechoslovakia
Sdružení pro Republiku - Republikánská strana Československa |
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Leader | Miroslav Sládek |
Founded | 1989 (2016) |
Youth wing | Republican Youth |
Ideology |
National conservatism Austrian economics Republicanism Euroscepticism Anti-immigration Non-interventionism Anti-Ziganism Anti-Germanism |
Political position | Right-wing to Far-right |
European Parliament group | None |
Colours | white, red and blue |
Website | |
http://www.spr-rsc.cz/ | |
The Coalition for Republic – Republican Party of Czechoslovakia (Czech: Sdružení pro Republiku - Republikánská strana Československa, abbreviated to Republikáni or SPR-RSČ) is a minor political party in the Czech Republic, strongly opposed to the EU, NATO and immigration. The party and its leader Miroslav Sládek are particularly known for their radical attitudes towards Roma people (antiziganism) and Germans.
The party was founded on December 30, 1989 as one of the first political parties in post-communist Czechoslovakia. It peaked in Czech legislative election, 1996 with 8% of votes (485,072 electors, 18 seats in the 200-seat Chamber of Deputies) but declined after that, and in 2001 disbanded due to financial irregularities – specifically the theft of party funds by the chairman, who used the money to fund his luxury lifestyle.
The party was reestablished in 2001 as Republicans of Miroslav Sládek (RMS, Republikáni Miroslava Sládka) Sládek immediately set up a new party; to distinguish it from the other "republican" parties his name was added. The new party failed to attract a significant number of votes (0.9% during Czech legislative election, 2002 was the highest). For the 2006 elections RMS joined with the National Party, which obtained 0.1% of votes. The number of active members was estimated to be in the dozens at most.
In May 17, 2008 this new party merged with five other minor parties to form the SPR-RSČ. The renewed party chose Sládek as chairman, yet even after the merger the party failed to gain political traction. For non-compliance with statutory obligations, the Supreme Administrative Court of the Czech Republic (acting on a Czech government proposal) decided in December 2010 to temporarily suspend the Republican party's activities. Finally, on 15 May 2013, the Court ordered its complete dissolution.