They will be again.
Now it didn't take that long and there are more choices. This time it's a local election. On the first weekend of October, traditional political parties, civic or business activities formed in movements, purpose-built one-off movements, experimental subjects and also some bizarre groups will measure their potential. It may not be easy to pigeonhole an entity in some cases, but given that the first year in which there will be no elections is not until 2027, there may be a gradual profiling. Young and Restless, Positively for Hodonín, Jauner Československo 2018, For Health and Sport, Quiet City, Enough is Enough! Citizens for Their Rights, Society Against Construction in the Prokop Valley, and others, to name a few, are names that confirm that the register is wide open and the menu is truly rich.
The next three years will bring six elections. And more and more, the ability to be elected in the next term or the next election will become a required qualification for a politician's career. Not a desire and willingness to work for citizens at the risk of losing privacy and personal popularity.
It's not an easy decision to make. We've been burned so many times in the past. For a while we wanted there to be no more big change after the 1989 coup, but that proved insufficient. Then we wanted change under the impression that it couldn't get any worse. But the experience of recent years tells us that it can always be worse, and very often is. Municipal elections are different from "big" parliamentary elections, or even presidential ones, where we directly decide who will be the head of state. Logical reasoning says that we should bet more on personalities who have already achieved something in local politics, we know something about them and maybe we have even met them personally and have a concrete feeling about them. Those who promise things close to reality and make decisions in the interests of their residents. I have visited several councils in Prague and I think the atmosphere could be more businesslike and that we need more passionate advocates for our civic interests.
There are 1580 persons running for the Prague City Council (not to be confused with the city districts) alone who believe they are worthy to serve the interests of the citizens of Prague from a municipal perspective. This is not a small number and there are indeed many to choose from. Despite some skepticism, I believe that there are enthusiasts among them who want to do something for Prague and, in conjunction with experienced local political patriots (without whom it cannot be done), can do so.
Four years ago, voter turnout in Prague was just over 37% (about 340,000 voters). At least 60% would have been fine.