In a letter submitted today, representatives of the Pirates party have formally requested that President Petr Pavel carefully consider the appointment of Filip Turek and Petr Macinka to the positions of Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Environment, respectively. Macinka is the Leader and Turek the honorary president of the far-right Motorists for Themselves (AUTO) party that Andrej Babiš wants to include in his government.
The letter highlights significant, publicly available findings detailed in the analytical annexes accompanying it. These findings provide a legal foundation for the president’s exceptional discretion to refrain from appointing candidates in order to prevent the emergence of an unlawful situation.
The Pirates have included a comprehensive analytical overview related to both candidates, advocating for a thorough vetting of Filip Turek by the appropriate security services.
Traditionally, the president has the authority to decline a proposed ministerial appointment only under very specific circumstances where such action is necessary to avert potential illegalities. In this context, the Pirates referenced a decision made by former Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová, who, in 2023, declined to appoint a candidate from a nationalist party to the Slovak Ministry of the Environment due to similar concerns.
Furthermore, the Pirates emphasise that nearly 500 prominent Czech scientists, including esteemed professors and associate professors, have raised alarms about the potential for irreversible environmental damage should Petr Macinka be appointed.
“President Pavel can act completely in accordance with the applicable legislation in the case of Motorists’ candidates by not appointing them. Especially in the case of Petr Macinka. If he were responsible for environmental protection as a minister, according to the statement of 500 scientists, he would likely cause significant harm to the environment. Macinka is already publicly announcing that ‘green blood’ will flow, saying that he will make a ‘counter-revolution’. The minister cannot act in direct contradiction to scientific conclusions and the mission of his ministry. I believe that the president will consider our request,” says the leader of the Pirates and MP Zdeněk Hřib.
The party has also expressed serious reservations about Filip Turek’s past statements related to Nazi ideology and racism, including comments regarding the arson attack against a Roma family in the village of Vítkov in 2010, as well as his promotion of Russian propaganda. They have also raised questions about his involvement in the opaque financing of the Motorists party.
“Given the very opaque financing of the Motorists party, it is not clear whose interests Filip Turek actually represents. There are several serious findings, but at random, for example, the Motorists’ Club, a registered association that Filip Turek represents, donated CZK 800,000 to the party. The origin of these funds is still unclear. The financial donations from the company of the convicted fraudster and extortionist Maxim Ponomarenko also look very suspicious. There is also information in the public domain about his strange meetings with representatives of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Last but not least, it is necessary to take into account the demonstrable repeated use of neo-Nazi symbols and expressions by Filip Turek,” adds Olga Richterová, chairwoman of the Pirates’ Parliamentary Club.
Additionally, the analytical summary regarding Filip Turek outlines 13 serious concerns. These include documented instances of Nazi symbolism, expressions of racism, homophobia, and derogatory attitudes towards women and other marginalised groups. The summary further points to Turek’s support for Russian propaganda and his opposition to efforts aimed at combating disinformation. The Pirates have suggested that Turek should also undergo screening by the relevant security authorities.
Lastly, they are also concerned about Tomio Okamura, the leader of the extremist right Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) party, who is expected to assume the role of Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies. Recently, Okamura sought extradition for criminal prosecution from the District Court for Prague 1. He, along with his SPD movement, is facing allegations of inciting hatred through the distribution of posters featuring racist or xenophobic content. A 2023 judgment concluded that his party can be characterised as a “parliamentary fascist movement.”
After the elections of 3-4 October, it was expected that Babiš should opt for a minority cabinet supported by the SPD and the Motorists to secure the necessary parliamentary confidence vote. However, the far-right Motorists and the extremist SPD pressured Babiš into giving them significant posts.
