Prague, Oct 11 (CTK) – The Czech senior government Social Democratic Party (CSSD), which massively lost in the weekend regional elections to its government rival ANO movement of Andrej Babis, is burdened by its excessively leftist image, daily Hospodarske noviny (HN) writes yesterday.
The CSSD only won in two regions, while it has dominated Czech regions 2008. The ANO moveement of Finance Minister Andrej Babis won in nine out of 13 regions, while the CSSD in only two. It lost two fifths of seats on regional assemblies compared to the 2012 elections.
One good piece of news for Sobotka is that Josef Bernard, former director general of Skoda Transportation, whom Sobotka personally pushed to the post of the Plzen Region election leader, is sure to become the regional governor.
Bernard, an anti-communist and a clear supporter of the Czech Republic’s pro-western orientation, is a prototype of people who are supposed to move the party from the traditional leftist programme more to the centre, HN writes.
However, the CSSD does not have much time because the next general election will be held in the autumn of 2017, HN writes.
It writes that Sobotka’s change of mind arises from the fact that a part of former CSSD voters went over to ANO.
“If it (CSSD) wants to gain more voters, it must also appeal to centrist voters with new themes. It can no longer only speak about welfare state,” HN quotes sociologist Dan Prokop, from the Median research agency, as saying.
Sobotka wants the party to pay much more attention to people in large towns and to the young. That is why it will offer themes from the digital economy, the environment, housing and education, HN writes.
It writes that the CSSD was accustomed to reaping votes mainly in the country, while it considered large towns its weak point.
Not even the raising of salaries for state employees Sobotka’s government pushed through before the regional elections was translated into votes, HN writes.
It writes that the CSSD wants to draw inspiration from ANO. “Andrej Babis has shown us during the two and a half years (of joint rule) how to do political marketing, we have to take a lesson from him,” Tomas Prouza, one of Sobotka’s closest collaborators, told HN.
“We have pushed through almost everything from the CSSD programme, but we are unable to communicate it to people,” Poruza, who now coordinates the government’s digital agenda, said.
HN writes that according to its information, Prouza is to become one of new faces of the CSSD which he joined recently. “There is still enough time to make a decision on my candidacy,” Prouza said.
Prokop said the transformation of the CSSD into a party closer to the centre need not be easy.
“The party leadership should not forget about the traditional voters. Our surveys have shown that the CSSD is losing voters in the important above 60 years age group,” Prouza said.
The new style is opposed by people close to Sobotka’s long-time opponent, President Milos Zeman.
“We must appeal much more to our traditional leftist voters, it is nonsensical to shift the party to the centre, which chairman Sobotka wants,” HN quotes deputy Jaroslav Foldyna as saying.
“Let us return to our traditional voters, or employees, seniors, families with children, the disabled,” senator Zdenek Skromach said, HN writes.
However, Sobotka’s critics have been largely weakened by the weekend elections. Foldyna, election leader in the Usti Region, failed, and Skromach ended in the first round of the Senate election in second position and will have to fight hard for defending his mandate in the run-off.
Another crushing defeat was suffered by Michal Hasek, governor of South Moravia since 2008, who only came third in the voting, HN writes.
It writes that according to its information, no one challenged Sobotka as party chairman at two weekend negotiations of CSSD leaders after the lost elections, which can help him in his effort to transform the party.
“To provoke a conflict before the general election would be lethal,” HN quotes Roman Sklenak, chairman of the CSSD deputy group, as saying.
