Outrage mounts in Czechia as party backs Turek amid racism scandal

Negotiations to form a new Czech government are continuing despite a political storm over Filip Turek, honorary president of the Motorists party and a potential foreign minister nominee, who allegedly posted racist, sexist and homophobic comments on social media.

The revelations, first reported by Deník N,  include posts referencing Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, and a 2009 attack on a Roma child, which Turek allegedly described as a “mitigating circumstance” for the perpetrators.

According to the publication, archived Facebook posts, later deleted after he entered politics, contain repeatedly racist statements, Holocaust mockery, misogynistic remarks, and vulgar insults targeting LGBTQ people.

Screenshots and original URLs of the posts show they also included derogatory comments about foreign leaders, including former U.S. President Barack Obama, and xenophobic remarks about Meghan Markle.

Turek has denied making the statements, calling the reporting an effort to discredit him. “I absolutely refuse that I would ever create, write or have such an idea…Even though I like black humor, I in no way agree that what they are trying to present to you now is something that is out of my head,” he said.

ANO leader Andrej Babiš, expected to become the next prime minister, called the allegations “serious” and said he will meet Turek and Motorists chair Petr Macinka to discuss next steps.

The Motorists are insisting on nominating their MPs to cabinet positions and have announced plans to file a criminal complaint against Deník N and its journalists. Party chairman Petr Macinka told Czech Television, “We insist that if we nominate someone to the government, it will be elected MPs.”

Deník N stands by its reporting, saying it is “absolutely sure” of its accuracy and will cooperate with any police inquiry.

The scandal has prompted public reactions beyond politics. Civic groups and STAN politicians held candle-lit vigils in Prague at the former Bubny train station, a deportation site for 50,000 Jews, and at Brno’s Kounic dormitory, a former Nazi prison and execution site.

STAN MEP Karel Dvořák condemned Turek’s statements as “belittling Nazi crimes with stupid humour,” and called for tolerance, defense of minorities, and rejecting evil.

Roma advocacy group ROMEA launched a petition calling on Babiš not to nominate Turek for foreign minister and urging President Petr Pavel not to appoint him if nominated.

The petition, signed by over 4,000 people in less than two days, emphasizes that “it is unacceptable for diplomacy to be represented by someone who is associated with Nazi symbols and the relativization of racially motivated violence,” said ROMEA communications manager Kristián Szinai.

Former signatories of Charter 77, the Czechoslovak dissident movement that advocated for human rights under communist rule, and other prominent public figures condemned Turek’s statements as “disgusting and inhuman,” warning that including him in government  “would place us among the most deplorable nations.“

Analysts say President Petr Pavel is unlikely to approve Turek’s nomination. Josef Mlejnek of the Faculty of Social Sciences at Charles University called Turek “unplayable” and said he expects the president to find justification for not appointing him.

“There are multiple actors who must align and accommodate each other in some way,” Mlejnek added, highlighting the delicate balancing required in forming the new government.

Milan Skolník, a political scientist at the Czech University of Life Sciences, said, “The ball is in the Motorists’ court if they want to be statesmanlike and responsible… That will show their political maturity,” emphasizing the coalition’s role in resolving the crisis.

Under the current coalition talks, ANO is slated to hold nine cabinet seats, SPD three, and the Motorists four, including discussions over Turek’s potential nomination.