Prague, Feb 10 (CTK) – Czech Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL) and the Mayors and Independents (STAN) are taking a risk if they want to contest the autumn election to the Chamber of Deputies in a two-member coalition for which they must gain at least 10 percent to enter it, analysts told CTK on Friday.
They also said although the new alliance has a chance of succeeding, it is unlikely to redraft the political map in the Czech Republic.
“They are really taking a big risk. It is not only a matter of taking up the preferences they have at present, summing them up and saying this is our potential of the proportion of the vote we can get. There is naturally the question of how many people will be eventually alienated by such an alliance,” analyst Petr Just said.
Even the simple addition of the poll ratings of the KDU-CSL and STAN only varies around 10 percent, Just said.
“Given the current preferences, 10 percent can be achieved, but this will demand a large effort in the campaign and this is not sure,” analyst Jan Outly said.
“These are the parties in the political centre where the battle for voters is the toughest. The ANO movement and the Social Democrats (CSSD) will also be fishing in this pond,” he added.
“The KDU-CSL si taking the bigger risk because it is likely to get into the Chamber of Deputies without any major problems. Only STAN can benefit from the situation,” Outly said.
Just said it would be better for the Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL) and STAN to create an election party for which it would be sufficient to cross the 5 percent threshold to enter the Chamber of Deputies.
He said the real decision had been motivated by the fear that they would lose the attachment between parties and voters.
“However, if they had chosen such a name as Christian Democrats and Mayors, their voters would easily understand that this is a body that includes their own party,” Just said.
“Even if they manage to get over 10 percent, they will be unlikely to redraft the political map,” Just said.
There is the question of the cohesion of the coalition in the long run, he added.
Outly said he, too, did not expect the KDU-CSL to gain a position similar to that of the German CDU thanks to the alliance.
Outly said the alliance was natural because the two parties were very close.
“One could see in the past years that the cooperation works well,” Outly said.
Just said he could see potential problems that might complicate the collaboration.
“The Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL) are entering the alliance as a governing party and STAN as an opposition party,” Just said.
