Assembly member in Přerov, Czech Republic calls "Freedom and Direct Democracy" a fascist movement, angering its local members there
Helena Netopilová (Společně pro Přerov - Together for Přerov), an opposition member of the local assembly in Přerov, has faced down accusations of allegedly violating that body's code of ethics. Netopilová was being criticized for calling assembly member Pavla Kadaníková, elected for the "Freedom and Direct Democracy" (SPD) party, a fascist along with her colleagues elected for that party. The incident transpired between the local two politicians, who both work as teachers, in the ladies' restroom during the previous assembly session and then continued in the corridor. Netopilová has since reiterated to the assembly that she considers the SPD to be a fascist party seated in Parliament and refused to apologize. Her fellow assembly members did not ultimately support a resolution finding that she violated the code of ethics.
Netopilová teaches at the Gymnázium Jakuba Škody, a college preparatory school in Přerov, and admitted that she had clashed with Kadaníková, the Vice-Principal of the Gymnázium Jana Blahoslava and High School for Pedagogy, another college preparatory school there, after the SPD members criticized her. “I actually did wait for Mrs. Kadaníková, she didn’t like my speaking with her in the restroom. I asked her, as Vice-Principal of a college preparatory school, what she had to say about the SPD’s campaign. I was quite enraged by it, I consider it to have crossed the line of anything that should be permissible in our society,” Netopilová said. She also criticized the coalition agreement between the Association of Dissatisfied Citizens (ANO) and the SPD at the level of the Olomouc Region.
In its campaign, the SPD defined itself as opposed to the European Union and to migration. They drew attention with an ad depicting a Black man covered in blood wielding a knife with the message “Deficiencies in health care will not be solved by importing ‘surgeons'” and with another ad depicting Romani boys smoking.
Kadaníková told the local assembly that her opposition colleague had called her and the other members of the SPD fascists. The altercation moved into the foyer, where the other assembly members had already been following it.
“This incident very much offended me, it was very insulting. It wasn’t just that she called me a fascist and my colleagues fascists, it was that it was degrading not just to me, but to our entire SPD club here, and that is irrespective of the fact that I am not a member of that party,” Kadaníková said. She added that her family had been persecuted by the Fascists. “I would never associate with a party that promotes any kind of fascist opinions,” she said.
The local assembly members spent dozens of minutes on the dispute, with SPD members primarily objecting to Netopilová’s characterization of them. “This is such a serious thing, I cannot comprehend how anybody can call me a fascist. It’s outrageous impudence, it’s a serious thing that has to be addressed and must end with an apology,” said SPD member Michal Dokládal. Netopilová did not apologize. “I insist the SPD is a fascist movement in the Parliament,” she said. She herself subsequently faced a motion for a resolution calling her behavior unacceptable and in violation of all rules, elementary decency and the code of ethics of the City of Přerov. It was not ultimately adopted, with most assembly members abstaining.
