Cyril Koky: If the vice-mayor from Ostrava-Přívoz does not apologize enough, a crime report should be filed. Czech MEP Zdechovský also criticizes her
Cyril Koky, the Central Bohemian Regional Coordinator for Ethnic Minorities, has responded to the racist remarks by the Vice-Mayor of the Municipal Department of Moravská Ostrava and Přívoz, Alena Pataky (Association of Dissatisfied Citizens - ANO) about Romani people. According to him, there must be consequences for her statements if the politician does not accept responsibility and publicly apologize.
Koky warned that similar remarks are frequently ignored, which just supports tolerance for insulting speech. “If Madame Vice-Mayor of Moravská Ostrava and Přívoz does not publicly apologize for her stupid, unacceptable remarks, it will be appropriate to file a report of a crime,” he told Romea.cz.
“Degrading remarks by politicians from various parties about Czech Roma cannot just be tolerated and left without a response. These politicians should realize that an adequate reaction will follow each such statement,” Koky said.
The scandal around Alena Pataky started after news server Romea.cz reported on remarks she made in an interview for news server Okraj.cz. For instance, Pataky alleged that: “The mentality of the Roma has not changed since the 13th century because of their absolutely different equipment, genetically speaking.“
Her words sparked a wave of criticism from experts, politicians and the public. While Pataky subsequently said she considers her remarks to have been “unfortunate” and is planning an apology, she reiterated her opinions in a slightly altered form in follow-up interviews.
At the same time, Pataky is refusing to resign, which has exacerbated the situation further. The chair of the ANO movement, Andrej Babiš, has called her remarks totally unacceptable.
Babiš emphasized that Pataky’s remarks are supporting the prejudices which his movement has long been trying to fight against. He added that he could not imagine in the least how anybody could say something of the sort.
Other politicians have also responded to Pataky’s remarks. Czech MEP Tomáš Zdechovský (Christian Democratic Party – KDU-ČSL) has called them insulting, racist and stupid.
“Generalizations about a whole ethnicity and attributing their failures in school to genetics is totally unacceptable and unethical,” said Zdechovský. He emphasized that instead of spreading negative stereotypes, it is necessary to make the positive examples of the Romani people who are educating themselves, living normal lives and working more visible.
Czech lawmaker Michaela Šebelová (Mayors and Independents – STAN) criticized not just Alena Pataky herself, but the ANO movement’s approach to such scandals. She recalled the example of legislator Hubert Lang of ANO, who set off fireworks at his farmsteads in Bílovy in the northern Plzeň Region although his neighbor’s estate holds stables with racehorses who were disturbed by the noise.
Lang later acknowledged he had made a mistake. “The scandals in recent days show how ANO, the one-man movement, operates. If somebody is a boor (Lang), or a racist (Pataky), the boss stamps his foot and they rush to apologize. Everything is for the image of the movement,” Šebelová posted to X.
Šebelová’s words sparked a reaction from ANO lawmaker Patrik Nacher, who rejected the criticism. “Two things are implied by the tweet of the STAN legislator. The first is that the apologies by politicians from STAN are spontaneous while apologies from ANO politicians are forced. The second is that she just has to criticize this no matter what – if Babiš had stayed silent, that would have been wrong, if he had stood up for these politicians he would also have been criticized, and when he speaks up and condemns them, that’s also wrong because he has stomped his foot and forced an apology…” Nacher said, asking Šebelová how Babiš could have responded without being criticized.
