Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia

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Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia
Komunistická strana Čech a Moravy
Slogan"S lidmi pro lidi!"
"With the people for the people!"
Chamber of Deputies
0 / 200
Senate
0 / 81
European Parliament
1 / 21
Regional councils
13 / 675
Local councils
466 / 62,300
Party flag
Website
www.kscm.cz Edit this at Wikidata
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    The Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (

    post-Communist Central Eastern Europe to have not dropped the Communist title from its name, although it has changed its party program to adhere to laws adopted after 1989.[11][12]

    For most of the first two decades after the

    political party in the Czech Republic printing its own newspaper, called Haló noviny.[16] The party's two cherry logo comes from the song Le Temps des cerises, a revolutionary song associated with the Paris Commune.[17]

    History

    The party was formed in 1989 by a congress of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (KSČ), which decided to create a party for the territories of Bohemia and Moravia (including Czech Silesia), the areas that were to become the Czech Republic. The new party's organization was significantly more democratic and decentralized than the previous party, and gave local district branches of the party significant autonomy.[18]

    In 1990, KSČ was reorganized as a federation of KSČM and the

    democratic socialist one, proposing a democratic socialist program and changing the name to the transitional Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia: Party of Democratic Socialism.[19] Svoboda had to balance the criticisms of older, conservative communists, who made up a majority of the party's members, with the demands of an increasingly large and moderate bloc of members, led primarily by a group of young KSČM parliamentarians called the Democratic Left, who demanded the immediate social democratization of the party. Delegates approved the new program but rejected the name change.[11]

    During 1991 and 1992, factional tensions increased, with the party's conservative,

    Marxist–Leninist clubs amongst rank-and-file party members. On the party's other wing, the Democratic Left became increasingly critical of the slow pace of the reforms and began demanding a referendum of members to change the name. In December 1991, the Democratic Left split off and formed the short-lived Party of Democratic Labour. The referendum on changing the name was held in 1992, with 75.94% voting not to change the name.[11]

    The party's second congress, held in

    anti-communist, could not attend the congress but was nevertheless overwhelmingly re-elected.[11] After the party's second congress in 1992, several groups split away. A group of post-communist delegates split off and merged with the Party of Democratic Labour to form the Party of the Democratic Left (SDL). Several independent left-wing members who had participated with KSČM in the 1992 electoral pact, which was called the Left Bloc, left the party to form the Left Bloc Party.[18] Both groups eventually merged into the Party of Democratic Socialism.[20]

    In 1993, Svoboda attempted to expel the members of the "For Socialism" platform, a group in the party that wanted a restoration of the pre-1989

    neocommunist Miroslav Grebeníček was elected chairman. Grebeníček and his supporters were critical of what they termed the inadequacies of the pre-1989 regime but supported the retention of the party's communist character and program. The members of the "For Socialism" platform were expelled at the congress, with the existence of platforms in the party being banned altogether, on the grounds that they gave too much influence to minority groups. Svoboda left the party.[18]

    The expelled members of "For Socialism" formed the Party of Czechoslovak Communists, later renamed the

    neo-Stalinist party and prevented it from having any influence during his presidency; however, the party provided the one-vote margin that elected Havel's successor Václav Klaus as president.[22] After a long-running battle with the Ministry of the Interior, the Communist Youth Union led by Milan Krajča, was dissolved in 2006 for allegedly endorsing in its program the replacement of private with collective ownership of the means of production.[14] The decision met with international protests.[23]

    In November 2008, the

    Andrej Babiš' Second Cabinet.[25][26]

    After the party's poor performance in the

    2021 Czech legislative election, in which KSČM failed to reach the 5% voting threshold and was excluded from representation in parliament for the first time in its history, Filip resigned as leader of the party.[27] On 23 October 2021, Member of European Parliament Kateřina Konečná was elected as leader.[28]

    Ideology

    As a

    Eurosceptic views in regards to the European Union.[32][33][34]

    Leaders

    # Name
    (Born–Died)     		Portrait Term of Office
    1 Jiří Machalík
    (1945–2014)    		 31 March 1990 13 October 1990
    2 Jiří Svoboda
    (b. 1945)    		 13 October 1990 25 June 1993
    3 Miroslav Grebeníček
    (b. 1947)    		 25 June 1993 1 October 2005
    4 Vojtěch Filip
    (b. 1955)    		 1 October 2005 9 October 2021
    5 Kateřina Konečná
    (b. 1981)    		 23 October 2021 present

    Electoral results

    KSČM's strongest bases of support are in the regions hit by deindustrialization, particularly in the Karlovy Vary and Ústí nad Labem regions. In 2012, the party won a regional election for the first time in Ústí nad Labem. Its regional leader Oldřich Bubeníček subsequently became the first communist regional governor in the history of Czech Republic.[35] The party is stronger among older than younger voters, with the majority of its membership over 60.[36] The party is also stronger in small and medium-sized towns than in big cities.[37]

    Parliament

    A protest against the election of Zdeněk Ondráček
    A May Day meeting in Brno organized by the party
    Former party leader Vojtěch Filip

    Chamber of Deputies

    Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic
    Year Leader Votes % Seats ± Place Position
    1990
    		 Jiří Machalík 954,690 13.2
    33 / 200
    		 New 2nd Opposition
    1992
    Jiří Svoboda
    		 909,490 14.0[a]
    35 / 200
    		 Increase 2 2nd Opposition
    1996
    		 Miroslav Grebeníček 626,136 10.3
    22 / 200
    		 Decrease 13 3rd Opposition
    1998
    		 Miroslav Grebeníček 658,550 11.0
    24 / 200
    		 Increase 2 3rd Opposition
    2002
    		 Miroslav Grebeníček 882,653 18.5
    41 / 200
    		 Increase 17 3rd Opposition
    2006
    		 Vojtěch Filip 685,328 12.8
    26 / 200
    		 Decrease 15 3rd Opposition
    2010
    		 Vojtěch Filip 589,765 11.3
    26 / 200
    		 Steady 0 4th Opposition
    2013
    		 Vojtěch Filip 741,044 14.9
    33 / 200
    		 Increase 7 3rd Opposition
    2017
    		 Vojtěch Filip 393,100 7.8
    15 / 200
    		 Decrease 18 5th Confidence and supply
    2021
    		 Vojtěch Filip 193,817 3.6
    0 / 200
    		 Decrease 15 7th No seats
    Notes
    1. ^ In 1992, KSČM participated in the Left Bloc, an electoral alliance with smaller left-wing groups and independents.[11]

    Senate

    Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic
    Year First round Second round No. of seats won No. of
    overall seats won     		±
    Votes % Votes %
    1996 393,494 14.3 45,304 2.0
    2 / 81
    2 / 81
    		 New
    1998 159,123 16.5 31,097 5.8
    2 / 27
    4 / 81
    		 Increase 2
    2000 152,934 17.8 73,372 13.0
    0 / 27
    3 / 81
    		 Decrease 1
    2002 110,171 16.5 57,434 7.0
    1 / 27
    3 / 81
    		 Steady 0
    2004 125,892 17.4 65,136 13.6
    1 / 27
    2 / 81
    		 Decrease 1
    2006 134,863 12.7 26,001 4.5
    0 / 27
    2 / 81
    		 Steady 0
    2008 147,186 14.1 did not make it did not make it
    1 / 27
    3 / 81
    		 Increase 1
    2010 117,374 10.2 did not make it did not make it
    0 / 27
    2 / 81
    		 Decrease 1
    2012 153,335 17.4 79,663 15.5
    1 / 27
    2 / 81
    		 Steady 0
    2014 99,973 9.74 did not make it did not make it
    0 / 27
    1 / 81
    		 Decrease 1
    2016 83,741 9.50 5,737 1.35
    0 / 27
    1 / 81
    		 Steady 0
    2018 80,371 7.38 3,578 0.86
    0 / 27
    0 / 81
    		 Decrease 1
    2020 40,994 4.11 did not make it did not make it
    0 / 27
    0 / 81
    		 Steady 0
    2022 17,612 1.6 did not make it did not make it
    0 / 27
    0 / 81
    		 Steady 0

    European Parliament

    European Parliament
    Year Votes % Seats ±
    2004 472,862 20.3
    6 / 24
    		 New
    2009 334,577 14.2
    4 / 22
    		 Decrease 2
    2014 166,478 11.0
    3 / 21
    		 Decrease 1
    2019 164,624 6.9
    1 / 21
    		 Decrease 2

    Local councils

    Year Votes % Seats
    1994 17,413,545 13.6
    5,837 / 62,160
    1998 10,703,975 13.7
    5,748 / 62,920
    2002 11 696 976 14.5
    5,702 / 62,494
    2006 11,730,243 10.8
    4,268 / 62,426
    2010 8,628,685 9.6
    3,189 / 62,178
    2014 7,730,503 7.8
    2,510 / 62,300
    2018 5,416,907 4.9
    1,426 / 62,300
    2022
    466 / 62,300

    Regional councils

    Year Votes % Seats ± Place
    2000 496,688 21.1
    161 / 675
    		 New 3rd
    2004 416,807 Decrease 19.7 Decrease
    157 / 675
    		 Decrease 2nd
    2008 438,024 Increase 15.0 Decrease
    114 / 675
    		 Decrease 3rd
    2012 538,953 Increase 20.4 Increase
    182 / 675
    		 Increase 2nd
    2016 267,047 Decrease 10.6 Decrease
    86 / 675
    		 Decrease 3rd
    2020 131,770 Decrease 4.8 Decrease
    13 / 675
    		 Decrease 9th

    References

    1. ^ "Milan Krajča, Vice-President of the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia(Czech Republic)". World Anti-Imperialist Platform. 17 May 2023. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
    2. ^ a b Bozóki & Ishiyama 2002, pp. 150–153.
    3. ^ Nordsieck, Wolfram (October 2021). "Czechia". Parties and Elections in Europe. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
    4. ^ "Stranám ubývají členové. Rozrůstají se jen SPD a STAN". ČT24. 18 March 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
    5. ^ "European United Left & Nordic Green Left European Parliamentary Group delegations". Guengl.eu. Archived from the original on 27 January 2013. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
    6. ^ "Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia". european-left.org. Archived from the original on 20 August 2017. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
    7. ^ Seelinger, Lani (11 July 2014). "Why the Czech Communists are here to stay". visegradrevue.eu. Archived from the original on 12 August 2019. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
    8. ^ Pink, Michal (August 2012). "The Electoral Base of Left-Wing Post-Communist Political Parties in the Former Czechoslovakia". Central European Political Studies Review. 14 (2–3): 170–192. Retrieved 12 August 2019..
    9. ^ Kapsas, André (6 April 2018). "Andrej Babiš et les sociaux-démocrates tchèques négocient leur alliance". Courrier d'Europe centrale (in French). Retrieved 12 August 2019.
    10. ^ Lopatka, Jan (30 April 2018). "New dawn or swan song? Czech communists eye slice of power after decades". Reuters. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
    11. ^ a b c d e Bozóki & Ishiyama 2002, p. 146.
    12. ^ a b c "Elections: What's on the menu". Prague Daily Monitor. 25 October 2013. Archived from the original on 8 August 2017. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
    13. ^ a b "ČSSD to rule along with Communists in 10 of 13 Czech regions". Prague Monitor. Archived from the original on 15 April 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
    14. ^ a b "Communists denounce ban on far-left youth movement". Radio Praha. 19 October 2006. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
    15. ^ "Czech Activists Seek to Outlaw Communist Party". The New York Times. 23 December 2009. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
    16. ^ "Halonoviny.cz - české levicové zprávy". Archived from the original on 16 November 2012. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
    17. ^ "Kdo jsme". Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia. Archived from the original on 14 November 2019. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
    18. ^ a b c d Bozóki & Ishiyama 2002, p. 147.
    19. ^ Bozóki & Ishiyama 2002, pp. 145–146.
    20. ^ a b Bozóki & Ishiyama 2002, p. 157.
    21. ^ Bozóki & Ishiyama 2002, pp. 146–147.
    22. ISBN 978-1-887985-95-6
      .
    23. ^ "Czech Communist Youth Union outlawed". The Guardian. Communist Party of Australia. 25 October 2006. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
    24. Mladá fronta DNES. Czech News Agency
      . November 2008. Retrieved 8 November 2008.
    25. ^ "ČSSD v referendu schválila vládu s ANO. Babiš však ještě nemá vyhráno". iDNES.cz. 15 June 2018. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
    26. ^ "Babiš je podruhé premiérem. Hájil, že vláda bude opřená o komunisty". iDNES.cz. 6 June 2018. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
    27. ^ "Vedení KSČM rezignovalo. Vstanou noví bojovníci, vzkázal Filip". iDNES.cz (in Czech). 9 October 2021. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
    28. ^ "Novou šéfkou KSČM se stala Konečná. Vyhrála s velkou převahou". Novinky.cz (in Czech). 23 October 2021. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
    29. ^ "Musíme vést třídní boj a zničit kapitalismus, řekla v Rozstřelu Konečná z KSČM". Idnes.cz. 24 April 2019. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
    30. ^ "Kdo jsme". KSČM. Archived from the original on 19 June 2021. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
    31. ^ "Naděje pro Českou republiku (2006)" (PDF). KSČM (in Czech). 29 March 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 February 2017. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
    32. ^ "How Europe will break on Brexit". Politico.eu. 22 June 2016. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
    33. ^ "O Brexitu neboli proč by EU měla jít". KSČM. 19 July 2016. Archived from the original on 10 November 2017. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
    34. ^ "Krachující Evropská unie a Česká republika". KSČM. 9 September 2016. Archived from the original on 10 November 2017. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
    35. ^ "Oldřich Bubeníček". Novinky.cz. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
    36. ^ Bozóki & Ishiyama 2002, p. 155.
    37. ^ Bozóki & Ishiyama 2002, p. 156.

    Bibliography

    • Bozóki, András; Ishiyama, John (2002). The Communist Successor Parties of Central and Eastern Europe. Routledge.
      ISBN 9780765609861
      .

    Further reading

    External links

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