Elena Gorolová (SRP), Romani candidate to the Czech lower house: I want to help those in need

An unusually high number of Romani people are running in this year’s early elections compared to years past. The monthly Romano voďi, published by the ROMEA association, has done its best to interview all the candidates running for the lower house and will run those interviews in addition to publishing analytical material about the elections.

News server Romea.cz will be gradually publishing these interviews. We consider these elections to be important, key, and we hope to bring you the opinions of all those asking for your vote.

This interview introduces Elena Gorolová of the Equal Opportunities Party (Strana rovných příležitostí – SRP). Gorolová is running on the Green Party candidate list in the Moravian-Silesian Region in 31st place.

Q:  Why the SRP? Have you ever been a member of a different political group before this?

A:  The SRP reached out to me and it was a pretty rapid decision on my part. I felt it wasn’t the moment to spend a lot of time thinking about it, the right time has come to start helping those in need. That’s my objective. I have never been a member of any other political party.  

Q:  What chance, in your opinion, does the SRP have in the early elections in general and in your region in particular?

A:  I hope we have a big chance because we have allied ourselves with the Green Party.

Q:  What do you say to the "alliance" between the Greens and the SRP making it possible for SRP members or nominees to run on the Green Party’s candidate lists? What does this alliance mean to the voters and the parties?

A:  There will definitely be more voters for both parties, both from the majority population and the [Romani] minority.

Q:  Why did the SRP reach out to the Greens in particular?

A:  The Green Party has the same program as the SRP.

Q:  This year rather a lot of Romani people are running for various parties. What do you make of this?

A:  I view this quite positively. I’m glad so many Romani people are running.

Q:  If elected, should the Romani candidates collaborate across party lines?

A:  Candidates from various political parties should collaborate together.

Q:  What does Romanipen mean to you?

A:  For me it means pride in and recognition of the traditions and values of our culture.

Q:  What do politics and your participation in them symbolize to you?

A:  I have always been interested in politics because I live in the Czech Republic and I am not indifferent to the problems faced by the citizens of this country.

These interviews will be published in the print edition of Romano voďi magazine, the October edition of which will feature edited versions of all of these interviews (in Czech only). You can order a copy of the October edition at romea@romea.cz.