Romani voters are divided on who to vote for President, just like the rest of Czech society

There are no other numbers on how Romani people not living in such places voted, which means that they are invisible. However, more than half of Romani people in the Czech Republic today do not live in socially excluded localities, and there are many educated Romani men and women here from the middle class, many of whom vote similarly to a large part of their “white” neighbors – and Andrej Babiš is not their preferred candidate.

How do these Romani men and women assess the first round of the presidential elections, and what are they saying about the gap between themselves and Roma living in social exclusion – not just the social gap, but the intensifying gap in terms of values? An estimated 250,000 Romani people live in the Czech Republic, and according to the Czech Government’s Report on the State of the Romani Minority, about 110,000 of them live in socially excluded localities.

Journalist Jarmila Balážová pointed this out. “It bothers me that if the media take an interest in the opinions of Romani people at all, they just present them one-sidedly from the socially excluded localities. Nothing against those people, but almost two-thirds of Romani people do not live in social exclusion here,” she told news server Romea.cz.

Assessment of the first round of voting: Higher turnout even in the socially excluded localities

Annu Chválová, a Green Party member, and Karel Karika, a local assembly member in Ústí nad Labem, were both surprised by the high voter turnout in socially excluded localities. They both consider it to be quite positive.

“What I perceive to be a big success is the enormous participation by voters – 68.24 % of them turned out. As a recorder for an electoral commission I had the opportunity to see the first voters, who weren’t young, but had the appetite to participate,” Chválová told Romea.cz.

“I regret that such high participation, including among Romani people, does not happen during local elections so voters could support Romani candidates who have been doing their best to aid the Roma their entire lives,” Chválová said. Josef Stojka, chair of the Union of Vlax Roma, told Romea.cz that “It’s fantastic that the Roma have woken up, gone to the polls, and are deciding on the next President of the Czech Republic with their votes. I think this is a benefit to the entire society and a clear signal that Romani people are not indifferent to the future of our country.”

The first round turned out well, although…

According to Karel Karika, there was a good selection of democratic candidates during the first round of voting, such as Pavel Fischer, Marek Hilšer, Danuše Nerudová, and Petr Pavel. “When the ballots arrived, the ones for Babiš were the ones people threw into the trash first,” Karika said decisively.

“It’s a nice surprise for me that Petr Pavel won the first round of the presidential election,” commented Cyril Koky, the Specialist Officer on National Minorities at the Central Bohemian Regional Authority, even though his favorite candidate, Hilšer, was unsuccessful. Yveta Kenety, who works at New York University Prague, also assesses the first round results positively.

“In my opinion, they turned out well under the circumstances, because Babiš, or ‘Zeman 2’, didn’t win the first round. Petr Pavel won, if narrowly, and he offers a new direction, decency, dignity and democracy in the true sense of the word,” Kenety said.

The first round also turned out well in the view of Romani activist and truck driver Jaroslav Miko. “I see the results as positive, although it’s alarming how many votes Mr. Babiš was able to get,” Miko said.

Disappointment in Danuše Nerudová’s failure

Historian Renata Berkyová assesses the first round results similarly. “The first round of the presidential election did not much surprise me, although I did not anticipate such a big decline for Danuše Nerudová. However, what I continue to be amazed by is the big support for Andrej Babiš among Roma,” she said.

On the other hand, a certain disappointment was expressed by educator and local assembly member in Lom, Marián Dancso. “The first round of the presidential elections is a disappointment to me because candidates made it into the second round whom I do not look up to. I was anticipating a bigger electoral success for Professor Nerudová, but unfortunately it was not to be,” he told Romea.cz.

Journalist Jarmila Balážová was surprised by the pragmatism of some voters. “They chose a candidate with great knowledge about how elections work, they were oriented as to who had a chance to defeat whom and by how much. Personally I believed there would be small percentage differences between Andrej Babiš, Petr Pavel and Danuše Nerudová,” said Jarmila Balážová, recalling the assessment by political scientist Tomáš Lebeda, who said the country’s third direct election of a President means some voters have a better grasp of the connections and regularities between the first and second rounds. 

The political scientist’s words have been confirmed by Kenety. “Many people realized that although they originally planned to vote for a different candidate, they decided to support Pavel in particular, who has the only chance of defeating Babiš and the old order. Both candidates got more votes than anticipated, which illustrates the marked division of the citizens of our country into two camps,” she said.

Pre-election surveys influence voting

According to Chválová, the results of the first round of presidential elections were influenced by pre-election surveys. “I believe many candidates lost votes because the pre-election public opinion surveys were influenced by undecided voters. Ahead of the first round, other aspects involved the categorization of the candidates as front-runners and then the rest. I think the result is not so surprising, rather, we just didn’t know who would be facing off against Andrej Babiš,” Chválová said.

“A pleasant surprise is that Jaroslav Bašta, who was promoted by some Romani people ahead of the election, to my great surprise, won just 4.5 % of the vote. That’s good, his promises didn’t respect the Constitution and couldn’t have been kept given the powers of the president, and they didn’t catch on,” Balážová said of the first round.

The preferred candidate of the chair of the Union of Vlax Roma, Josef Stojka, did not make it into the final round. Stojka voted for Pavel Fischer.

“It’s a pity, I’d like to have a president who honors the law and who won’t advocate for his own personal interests. A president who will have character, principles, be educated and experienced, and who won’t be corrupt,” Stojka said.

Roma from socially excluded localities: Only Babiš!

According to the data from the voting precincts in the socially excluded localities, and according to the statements of some Romani voters in the media or on social media, there is a big gap between Roma who are socially excluded and those with higher educations in the middle class.

“We’ll vote for him in the second round too, and there will be more of us. Babiš has to win,“ CNN Prima News quoted Marie Holubová, who lives in a dilapidated tenement on Jílová Street in Ostrava-Přívoz.

According to that news server, the first-round results and approach of the former PM have electrified that voter. Her neighbor, Rudo Horváth, reportedly agrees with her.

“Certainly he will be better than Zeman, who did absolutely nothing for us,” Horváth believes. The ex-PM also got the vote of František Čarný, who lives in the same building.

Čarný asked: “When will the second round be? We’ll vote for Babiš again, only Babiš!“

The situation is similar at the Chanov housing estate in Most. “He’s the only one of the candidates whom I know. That lady, the other one and the rest I don’t know at all. We’ve been discussing it here, I voted and gave him my vote,” 70-year-old pensioner Vladimír Štěrba told Seznamzpravy.cz of his vote for Babiš.

Consternation and shock over Romani votes for Babiš

The support for Babiš among Romani voters greatly bothers Miko. “I’m deeply convinced a vote for Babiš contradicts Romani interests, both because of the many anti-Romani remarks he has made and because of his collaboration with the SPD, both in Parliament and currently during the election,” Miko explained with disappointment.

“That fact alone should tell the Roma that whoever depends on the Nazis will not defend Romani interests,” Miko said. Karika is aghast at how some of the Romani voters from socially excluded localities have approached the elections on the basis of fabricated lies they have believed from different people on social media.

“Unfortunately, such people are easily influenced, it’s a simple matter to manipulate them. All it takes is to spread allegations about racism and about war, but none of these voters want to hear the truth,” Karika told Romea.cz.

Renata Berkyová says this is because of a specific group of people working on social media. “It’s shocking how these Romani people, some of them all but fanatically, have decided to vote for Babiš after all these years with him, including the COVID-19 period in lockdown. Of all the scandals, missteps and serious felonies, I’d mention how the buyout of the industrial pig farm on the site of the former concentration camp at Lety actually began,” Berkyová explained, recalling Babiš’s remark in 2016 casting doubt on the Holocaust and its Romani victims by stating that the Roma imprisoned there had not wanted to work.

“During his subsequent visit to Lety, more than discussing Holocaust victims, he spoke about bedbugs and filth in the homes of Romani people in Kovářská Street: ‘Why aren’t those people at work and why do they get welfare of CZK 40,000 a month and parasite off of the benefits for their children? They’re brutally abusing welfare here.’ According to Babiš, non-Romani residents there were in the minority and feared for their lives from the Romani ones,” Berkyová recalled the scandalous remarks.

“It’s not surprising that Okamura and his racist SPD have now sucked up to Babiš after the first round of the presidential election. What’s amazing is that some Roma are not bothered by any of this and want such a person to become President,” Berkyová said.

Roma are as divided as Czechs about the election

Cyril Koky says this shows how much both the majority society and the Romani minority are significantly divided. In his view, there is nothing to be done about this.

He has also been startled by Romani people sharing hoaxes and lies on social media. “Unfortunately, this is a big problem stemming from ignorance and low levels of education. People express opinions about stuff they don’t really understand and they’re able to argue until they lose consciousness,” Koky says.

“People do not have enough awareness about the powers of the president stemming from the Constitution. They do not know the difference between the executive, the judicial and the legislative branches. They express themselves on the basis of emotions, arguments don’t much interest them,” Koky informed Romea.cz.

Balážová has a similar opinion and regrets that many people have just a superficial knowledge of the elections. “Vote for whomever you want, that’s your right. However, look at the context, at who supports which candidates, what they’ve done or said in the past and mainly, what they’re promising you and whether they actually can make that promise from the post of President,” she said.

The journalist also believes people in socially excluded localities succumb more easily to the idea that the President is able to dismiss the Government, or stop energy and grocery inflation, or change the direction of the country, or stop Russia’s war on Ukraine by snapping their fingers, or order a military mobilization. “This is demonstrating how deceitful the Internet space and the networks spreading fear and lies are. They contribute to intensifying interpersonal aversion, the level of aggression scares me. Romani people discussing online or calling for support for this or that candidate in the public space are no exception,” Balážová said.

Support for Babiš from the Roma in socially excluded localities did not surprise Dancso. “I anticipated that. There are many reasons for it. I believe Andrej Babiš’s verbal statements are more comprehensible for Romani people. However, what surprised me unpleasantly was the hate speech of some Romani people who held different opinions about whom to vote for,” the educator and local assembly member from Lom emphasized.

On the other hand, for Kenety, a vote for Babiš is an incomprehensible mystery; just like Berkyová, she recalled his previous remarks. “Unfortunately, they believe Babiš is aiding people and that he’s so rich he doesn’t need anything and that everything he does, he does above all for the people. Andrej Babiš is not an educated person, but he is a master of manipulation, playing with emotions, and he chiefly knows how to play the games behind the scenes perfectly, which has brought him fabulous wealth and the power he existentially needs,” she said.

“He has managed to conjure the illusion of being a strong leader who will protect people because he has power, money and contacts. Many people actually believe all Andrej Babiš has to do is pick up the phone and everything will be immediately resolved, including the immeasurably complicated military conflict in Ukraine. Politics is not so easy and I believe Babiš’s credit abroad, thanks to his many scandals and to his contacts with authoritarian regimes, for example, with Orbán, is declining,” Kenety said.

Collections, expensive energy, inflation and the Government’s poor communications

Journalist Balážová recalls other reasons people voted for Babiš. “I’m always bothered by the rush to judgment among this segment of the electorate. No small number of people from those localities now perceive the elections as a way to protest the Government and some of its steps. I also see the failure of the Government, they don’t communicate with people enough, they don’t visit the afflicted regions, the targeted aid to the needy reaches them slowly and without differentiation,” she said.

Chválová makes similar observations. “Unfortunately, I believe people, and not just those living in excluded localities, are grappling with inflation, the energy crisis and other matters which are influencing their standard of living. Many consider their current life situation to be the consequence of decisions made by the current Government led by Petr Fiala,” she said.

“Many people from areas of high unemployment are bothered by a lack of affordable housing and believe a presidential candidate like Andrej Babiš could understand them. Unfortunately, the information has never reached many of them as to what the powers of the President are and how the Czech Republic is perceived abroad,” said Chválová, adding that Babiš frequently uses biased information that many people comprehend as meaning opposition MPs would be able to change their lives if only they could get back into power.

“Because Andrej Babiš adapts his rhetoric for the so-called ordinary people, he has won over senior citizens and other groups. Senior citizens frequently say their pensions went up and that Babiš cares about the people. Many people need to have fast results and that’s what he promises,” Chválová explains.

Miko said he understands people are experiencing complex economic times and are also concerned about the war and therefore more easily succumb to Babiš’s lies and scaremongering. “In this country, many problems have yet to be systemically resolved. For example, collections proceedings, changes to the education system, etc. That inactivity, unfortunately, plays into the hands of populists like Babiš in particular, who promises easy solutions or even scares citizens with untruths,” he warns.

“These elections, unfortunately, are showing there is a lot of work ahead of us in terms of Romani civic awareness,” Miko adds. According to Stojka, Babiš was voted for by 80 % of Romani people and his success is based on the fact that some Roma called on other Roma to vote for him using social media.

Stojka believes some Romani voters were definitely influenced by this. “In addition, they know Mr. Babiš already from before, as a former prime minister, as an entrepreneur, and as the politician who raised the people’s pensions. Most were also of the opinion that they should go vote for the lesser evil whom they already know than for an evil that has just come on the scene. However, some Romani people here did better map the situation and calculated what a new President can bring to society, and they made their decisions during the election based on that,” he said.

Balážová disagrees that 80 % of Romani voters chose Babiš. “That’s just based on a feeling, it’s not substantiated by specific numbers. I personally believe that’s an exaggeration,” she said.

Chválová concurs that familiarity with Babiš is one reason people voted for him. “Babiš was their choice because he’s famous in politics, mainly. The fact that he’s also associated with corruption scandals, prosecutions, and other cases is unfortunately a secondary matter to them,” she said, describing her experience with a Babiš voter: “On my official profile one Romani woman wrote to me that she is voting for Andrej Babiš because he know how to get around in this area.”

We are voting for Petr Pavel

Some of these middle class Romani figures are clear on who they’re voting for in the second round of the presidential elections. “I’ll support Petr Pavel in the second round. I am convinced that he will be a brilliant President. I’m decidedly not afraid he will lead us into war, as some people discussing him on Facebook say,” Cyril Koky says decisively, giving the reasons for his decision as follows: “He first represented a country in the former Warsaw Pact who then rose to the very highest military function in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. He participated in UNPROFOR’s peace mission in Yugoslavia where, in January 1993, his unit aided with the rescue of more than 50 French soldiers from the war zone between the Serbs and the Croats, in a voluntary operation. Pavel was given the highest French state honors for that mission, the Legion of Honor. Czech President Václav Havel then gave him the Medal for Heroism. Petr Pavel has done a brilliant job for the Czech Republic, that guy will never shame the Czech Republic, rather the reverse will be true.”

Karel Karika is just as decided in his own choice. “We finally have a chance to have a President in Prague Castle of whom we need not be ashamed and who will bring people together, and that is Petr Pavel. In the second round of the election my vote and that of my family for him is a sure thing,” he told Romea.cz.

Anna Chválová wants a democratic President. “I’ve decided to support Petr Pavel in the second round. Before I didn’t know anything more about General Pavel, but I’d like a democratic President who has moral credit. I’d support anybody like that who would run against Andrej Babiš,” she said.

“Because I vote for democracy, decency and security, I will also vote for General Pavel, unambiguously, and moreover, I will do so because I do not want my sons to go to war,” Yveta Kenety told Romea.cz.