A nomination that confirms a political shift
PRAGUE
The Czech far right is consolidating its political power. Therefore, Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) leader Tomio Okamura will be nominated as Speaker of Parliament with backing from ANO and Motoristé sobě, according to public broadcaster ČT24. As a result, he would become the third-highest constitutional official in the Czech Republic. He would rank just below the president and the prime minister.
Okamura, whose movement has been legally defined as one with fascist characteristics, is also under criminal investigation for inciting hatred. Despite this, his nomination enjoys the full support of the three-party parliamentary majority.
The Czech far right reaches the heart of power
Journalist Sváťa Barek summarized the development on social media with bitter irony:
“Just the facts: the criminally charged leader of the 7 % fascist movement will represent the Czech Republic as its third-highest constitutional official.”
The rise of the Czech far right marks a turning point: it no longer just influences politics — it now governs from within the state itself.
Okamura, known for his anti-refugee and anti-Romani rhetoric, has repeatedly been accused of distorting historical facts. In 2018, he claimed that the Lety concentration camp — where hundreds of Romani people were murdered under Nazi occupation — “was not an extermination camp.”
The statement caused international outrage and protests from both Romani and Jewish communities.
His current nomination reopens old wounds and is viewed by human rights groups as a direct insult to the victims of racism and fascism in the country.
A politician shaped by hate speech
Okamura has built his career on racist language and ethnic stereotypes, repeatedly referring to Roma as “parasites” and “enemies of the Czech nation.”
SPD campaigns under his leadership have featured posters with overtly racist imagery — Black men with bloody knives, or Romani children smoking — paired with slogans questioning their education or morality.
When confronted over his false claims about the Lety camp, Okamura refused to apologize, insisting he had “only quoted public information” and was being “persecuted for his opinions.”
His rhetoric extends beyond Roma. He has described Islam as “a monstrous totalitarian religion,” spread disinformation about refugees and the EU, and dismissed support for Ukraine as “an American war.”
According to analysts and rights groups, his speeches have normalized xenophobia and polarized Czech society, which now echoes through Parliament itself.
Motoristé sobě and the expansion of the Czech far right
The coalition supporting Okamura includes Motoristé sobě, which, despite scandals involving racism and neo-Nazi connections of its MEP Filip Turek, continues to push his nomination as Minister of Foreign Affairs.
If both nominations are confirmed — Okamura as Speaker and Turek as Foreign Minister — the Czech far right would cement its institutional power and plunge the country into its deepest moral crisis since the democratic transition.Read also my chronicle: far right