Maršíček asks Topolánek about the "National Guard"

PRAGUE-On Monday, Czech MP Zdeněk Maršíček (KSČM) posed questions to Czech PM Mirek Topolánek about the rise of the so-called “National Guard” (Národní garda), founded by the ultra-right wing nationalist National Party (Národní strana). This political party, according to the annual report of the Security Information Service (BIS) for 2006, is one of the most active ultranationalist entities on the Czech political scene. The MP reminded Topolánek of the press conference on 6 November 2007, when in answer to a direct question, Topolánek said the group was not a neo-Nazi one and that he had been informed in great detail about it. Czech President Václav Klaus subsequently said no such “National Guard” has a place in a democratic country such as ours.

Czech Interior Minister Ivan Langer subsequently warned that he considers the rise of the “National Guard” paramilitary organization, founded in late October 2007 by the extreme-right National Party, to be unacceptable. In his written questions, Maršíček emphasized: “In my opinion, a clear signal is being sent from the ultra-right by founding the paramilitary group, the so-called ‘National Guard’, on the model of the Hungarian fascists… Even though this is a fringe group whose members organize ‘crusades’ to the Roma ghettos and preach there beneath Czech flags to the defenseless, frightened inhabitants about the superiority of the white race and ‘order’, the mere founding of such a paramilitary organization far exceeds the limits of the law on political parties. They claim they are not armed, but a knife is part of their uniforms. Are knives not weapons? The National Party, which founded the ‘National Guard’, is considered nationalist, but it is part of a group of ultra-right wing neo-nationalist parties such as the neo-Nazi National Resistance (Národní odpor).” The MP comments that while the National Resistance group is outlawed, the National Party is not. “For a long time, this group has behaved xenophobically and agressively, particularly against the Roma, homosexuals, and foreigners,” Maršíček told Haló noviny.

Maršíček reminds us of the three reasons the National Party claims it founded the “National Guard”: the incompetence of the police to guarantee calm, order and safety for the citizens; the decision of the Czech Defense Ministry to abolish the military emergency battalions, which used to be called upon during natural disasters; and fear of the behavior of minorities and immigrants. Maršíček also warned Topolánek that the founding of the “National Guard” was explained by the National Party on its website as a response to “the destruction of the Czech Police and the behavior of unadaptable minorities and emigrants [sic], whom the current ‘demoliberal’ team has privileged over upright citizens.” Maršíček says the situation might seem insane and almost unreal to some. “That is what Jan Brabec, author of an article in RESPEKT magazine entitled ‘The Month of Extremists’, thought until he met with Pavel Sedláček, ‘National Guard’ spokesperson and a National Party ideologue, for an interview. A pleasant conversation was conducted until a question about the Roma was asked. Pavel Sedláček’s features hardened and in an irritated voice he declared: ‘We are interested in solving the Gypsy question, if they will not work, they should go back to where they came from. Your magazine does nothing but stand up for them. You are getting rich off of scum: Thousands of whores, thieves and rapists. You just want to use the ‘National Guard’ to make yourself look good.’ Sedláček then said, in a dark, threatening voice, ‘One day we will be talking about what I have said here and what it was you wrote.’ “

The communist MP emphasizes in his interpolation that the representatives of the National Party claim the “National Guard” is providing services as per Law No. 240/2000 Coll., on the management of crises (the Crisis Law -Section 5, Provision and acceptance of humanitarian aid). The “National Guard”, therefore, is providing “services” and “special work” as a nonprofit organization and civic association. Maršíček points out that the “National Guard” is not registered with the Czech Interior Ministry as a civic association as per Law No. 83/1990 Coll., on the association of citizens, as amended (not as of its inception on 28 October 2007; there is no registration number on its website). He asks the Prime Minister to respond to the following questions: “1. Who is the ‘National Guard’ and what is the capability for action of this paramilitary organization, which is offering its services to the National Memorial at Terezín? 2. In this context, what is the stance of the government and what does the Interior Ministry have to say about this situation?” We will publish Topolánek’s answers to KSČM MP Zdeněk Maršíček’s questions as soon as they are available.