Filip Turek, honorary chairman and lawmaker for the Motoristé sobě party, has largely disappeared from public view over recent months, according to his main supporter and friend Richard Chlad.
Chlad posted his surprise on social media after reviewing campaign newspapers published by Petr Macinka’s party in Prague.
“Listuji, hledám a nevěřím svým očím. O nejvýraznější osobnosti strany Motoristé sobě, o čestném předsedovi Filipu Turku tady konkrétně není ani zmínka,” Chlad wrote on his social media accounts, noting that the Czech capital should be the natural home turf of the Motoristé.
In municipal elections, however, the party suffered a complete defeat in Prague and almost everywhere else, with the sole exception of Ostrava. Political scientist Jakub Lysek told Aktuálně.cz that the Motoristé have traded away nearly all their pre-election promises in exchange for participating in the government.
Did You Know? The Motoristé are the only governing party that insisted before the elections that the fees for Czech Television and Czech Radio must be preserved, but they now defend the exact opposite of what they promised during last year’s campaign.
Motoristé sobě lose electoral support
According to the latest Kantar polling model for Czech Television, only four percent of voters would now cast a ballot for Motoristé sobě, marking a 2.5 percentage point drop compared to the election results. Lysek said that this represents a severe loss for a political formation of this nature.
“Zatím to u Motoristů vypadá, že to je strana na jedno volební období. Nezdá se, že by sami chtěli uspět v dalších volbách. Navíc může vzniknout opět nějaká strana, která bude hrát kartu novosti, což by šance na udržení Motoristů na politické scéně dál snížilo,” Lysek said.
Protest voters might leave Motoristé and SPD
Both the Motoristé and SPD rely heavily on protest voters, a demographic they risk losing due to their current involvement in the government. Lysek observed that SPD is also struggling with internal friction, stating that “ani SPD není v nejlepší kondici a je možné, že tam nyní probublává nějaká forma nespokojenosti se současným vedením.”
A new populist movement could emerge from a potential split within SPD, which might draw away even more supporters from the Motoristé. Martin Kuba and his movement Naše Česko could pull away dissatisfied voters from all current ruling parties.
Political Uncertainty and Andrej Babiš
Lysek explained that politics depends heavily on the decisions of ANO leader Andrej Babiš. “Ještě pořád totiž nevíme, zda upřednostní strategii A – tedy umírněnost a pokus oslovit spíše středové voliče —, nebo zda se rozhodne pro variantu B, tedy radikalizaci a zacílení na protestní segment voličů,” Lysek said, noting that Babiš is currently weighing both approaches.
“Varianta B by totiž Motoristy i SPD mohla vymazat z politické mapy úplně,” Lysek concluded.
What voters ask about Motoristé sobě
What percentage of the vote would Motoristé sobě receive according to recent polling?
According to the latest Kantar polling model for Czech Television, Motoristé sobě would receive four percent of the vote, representing a 2.5 percentage point loss compared to the election.
Which city was the sole exception where the Motoristé did not completely fail in municipal elections?
The party suffered heavy defeats everywhere except for Ostrava.
What specific issue have the Motoristé been visible for in recent weeks?
The party has appeared in public discussions regarding the fees for Czech Television and Czech Radio, despite having insisted before the elections that these fees must be preserved.
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