Czech communists have announced an extraordinary congress after their poor election results, where they will elect new leadership. But right before Christmas, they will have to face a far bigger problem — whether the party will even exist after the New Year.
Czech communists have announced an extraordinary congress after their poor election results, where they will elect new leadership. But right before Christmas, they will have to face a far bigger problem — whether the party will even exist after the New Year.
In January 2026, an amendment to the Criminal Code comes into force that, among other things, more clearly defines the already existing ban on movements that promote the suppression of rights and freedoms. Prison sentences will now threaten anyone who founds, promotes, or supports communist, Nazi, or other movements whose aim is the suppression of human rights and freedoms and the incitement of hatred. This will allow the police to start prosecuting those who promote communist ideology and the use of symbols associated with it. “We have two legal analyses. The risks are considerable. Without changes, after 1 January 2026 we will not be able to protect our people, our representatives, or our property,” reads a statement from communists in eastern Prague, published in detail in their November newsletter about the Central Committee session held on 18 October.
In one of the analyses obtained by public broadcaster Radiožurnál and the portal iROZHLAS.cz, lawyer Sergej Zaripov — who represents communist leader Kateřina Konečná — advises two options: either the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (KSČM) dissolves completely, or it merges with another party or movement.
Party leader remains silent
The party leader has not responded to questions about how she envisions the party’s future operations or whether she is open to a merger with another entity. Party spokesman Roman Roun explains that the leaked analysis is just one of many documents and that the public will be informed in due course about the outcome of discussions on a possible change in KSČM’s status.Some experts and party members believe the analysis was prepared deliberately so that members would be ready to welcome a merger of one of the country’s oldest parties with the Stačilo! (“Enough!”) party, on whose list communists have already run in previous years. Political scientist Aleš Michal from the Institute of Political Studies at Charles University believes a merger of the specific entities is possible, but it would mean the marginalisation of KSČM.
A merger would be the most favourable option for the communists
Lawyer Zaripov warns that the legislative change could lead to police raids on the party headquarters. “The risk of prosecution affects all levels of the party’s activities — legal, organisational, and symbolic — and in the extreme case could lead to a motion for dissolution,” his analysis reveals. Any criminal prosecution, he says, would result in the loss of property, which is not negligible since it is well known that the communists still own a large amount of real estate. “Persisting with the current arrangement could lead to an irreparable loss of property without the possibility of controlled transfer,” he states clearly, adding that for this reason the strategically most suitable option is for the communists to merge with Stačilo!.In light of the communists’ electoral failure — they didn’t even cross the parliamentary threshold — Zaripov warns that they will have no chance of influencing the legislative change introduced by Petr Fiala’s government. He believes they cannot count on the incoming coalition either. “The Motorists [a populist party] have long expressed anti-communist positions, and Andrej Babiš himself has been trying for a long time to publicly distance himself from his past connected with the former regime and its structures,” the lawyer further explains regarding his proposal. In his view, the Freedom and Direct Democracy party (SPD) would not oppose a possible dissolution of KSČM, and the party would find no support even from President Petr Pavel, who emphasises the need to defend democratic institutions against autocratic tendencies.Until the congress, the Czech communist leadership does not wish to comment on the party’s future path. “We are convinced that the amendment to the law is undemocratic and will infringe rights and freedoms in the Czech Republic. We are still discussing how it will affect us,” explained Milan Krajča, deputy chairman of the Central Committee.
Ž. N.
