Post-election uncertaincies.
What does it actually mean to be elected in parliamentary elections? To what extent is it the merit of the political party that supports the candidacy, and to what extent is it the result of personal effort and the demonstration of individual qualities? One of the favorite and repeatedly repeated claims of the incoming coalition is that any protest against nominations for ministerial positions is an undemocratic expression of disrespect for the results of free elections. "You just can't accept that you lost," is heard more and more often. At first glance, the argument sounds logical. However, if we mentally return to the election weekend, it is almost certain that the majority of voters simply did not want the part of the political spectrum that had 105 (108) seats in parliament over the past four years to have the decisive say. (The reasons and motivations for this decision are not the subject of this reflection.) Not only was it not a question of who would be the new Hladík, Lipavský, or Stanjura, but there were even comments attributing this or that coalition partner to the likely victorious ANO movement. The right of every citizen to express their concerns when a person accompanied by strange circumstances is preparing to take up a leading position in the state must be preserved. Of course, the expression of concerns must be done in a form that is socially acceptable and permissible. Objectively and in accordance with our democratic system, everyone from the president to a released prisoner certainly has this opportunity. There are differing opinions on what the actual qualifications are for the position of minister or for appointment to another important representative position. Some argue that expertise is important, while others consider managerial skills to be essential. According to some, it could also be knowledge of languages, at least Czech or English, according to others, the ability to formulate sentences that make sense. For some, it may be important that the person in question is handsome, for others, that the candidate is not fat and old, although sharing this concern publicly is certainly borderline. What is essential, however, is the right to include this topic among the legitimate areas of discussion and, likewise, the opportunity for those concerned to defend their candidacy. Democracy is not about someone who did not vote for the "winning" party in the elections having to passively and silently endure any eccentricities for four years. Nor is it about the same dull topics being repeated over and over again in the public sphere, the same names being discussed, and there being no time or space left to present solutions to important problems where a broader consensus is needed.