Head of German neo-Nazi party to speak in Czech Republic Saturday

Udo Voigt, the head of the neo-Nazi National Democratic Party of Germany (NPD) will visit the Czech Republic on Saturday at the invitation of the Workers’ Social Justice Party (Dělnická strana sociální spravedlnosti – DSSS). The aim of the visit by the delegation will lead is to “solidify collaboration” between the parties, DSSS Vice-Chair Jiří Štěpánek told the Czech Press Agency today.

The DSSS and NPD are both controversial because of their dubious activities. Czech Police have informed the Czech Press Agency that they are informed of the upcoming visit. “However, at this moment we cannot inform the public of the extent of any eventual measures to be taken,” police presidium spokesperson Dagmar Bednarčíková said. “These are two legal political parties and we are not preparing to take any steps related to this visit,” the Czech Interior Ministry said.

The DSSS is the successor to the Workers’ Party (Dělnická strana – DS), which was dissolved by the Czech Supreme Administrative Court last year. Its ideology, program, and symbols included chauvinistic and xenophobic elements and a racist subtext, linking the party to national socialism, the ideology espoused by Adolf Hitler.

Four years ago, Voigt cast doubt on the number of Jewish people murdered during WWII and demanded the return of the territory Germany lost after 1945. NPD members and sympathizers have been prosecuted in Germany several times for their revisionist declarations and speech bordering on Holocaust denial.

The DSSS says it concluded a manifesto on collaboration with the NPD in April. The parties want to focus on criticism of the undemocratic nature of the system of EU institutions, on cross-border collaboration at municipal level, on promoting measures against immigration, on resisting attempts to control freedom of speech, and on support for a campaign against armed conflicts waged by NATO and the USA.