Without investigative journalism, Turek would remain just a handsome man in a leather jacket. But his past speaks volumes

When Deník N published Filip Turk's archival contributions last week, it fulfilled exactly what independent investigative journalism is supposed to do: ask uncomfortable questions, bring the past to light, and put facts in the hands of the public that allow them to form their own opinions. And in this case, that is quite clear.

Filip Turek is not a "controversial politician". Filip Turek is a man who has repeatedly expressed racist attitudes, who has been on a hunger strike, who has collected Nazi memorabilia, who has shared hate-filled posts and who has a history of violence against women.

Posts full of racism, homophobia, vulgarity and overt references to Nazism. For example, Turek was alleged to have used derogatory language about Roma people and, in connection with the brutal 2009 arson attack in Vitkov, in which three-year-old Natálka was severely burned, he wrote: "Setting someone on fire is stupid, but the fact that a gypsy was burned should be a mitigating circumstance."

These are not "provocations" or "tough rhetoric," as some advocates might try to frame them. These are expressions of deep-seated contempt that have no place in a civilized society - let alone in a political arena that is supposed to represent the Czech Republic externally.

A pattern of behaviour, not one mistake

Turk's past is not a new discovery. Since entering politics as a self-proclaimed motorist, he has been surrounded by a series of cases that together paint a fairly clear picture. There's the famous 2013 photo of him loitering outside the Pupp Hotel. There is his fascination with Nazi objects - a candlestick with a swastika, a dagger, a helmet with the symbol of the Greek neo-Nazi party Golden Dawn. There are his ex-partner's accusations of rape and domestic violence, backed up by messages and emails to his therapist in which he describes brutal physical abuse. And there are his own actions in recent years - like sharing a speedometer at over 200 km/h on a Czech highway, for which an ordinary driver would face a driving ban.

Each individual case on its own could perhaps provoke debate, apology, reflection or legal resolution. But the moment all these stories come together, an unmissable picture emerges of a man who is as far from democratic values as he is from the slowdown threshold.

"Media attacks" as a tactic

Turk's reaction to the findings of the Daily N is a textbook example of political manipulation. Everything is said to be a "purposeful campaign", "dehumanisation", "an attack to prevent the formation of a new government". Nothing is his fault, everything is a conspiracy. Instead of apologizing for his own statements and behavior, all we hear is defensive rhetoric in which he styles himself as a victim of the system.

This is nothing new - extremists, populists and authoritarian leaders use similar narratives all over the world. When their words are confronted with reality, instead of accountability, an attack on those who named the reality ensues. This is why it is important to stand firmly on the side of independent investigative journalism.

Why investigative reporting is crucial

Without journalism, Turk's past would either remain completely unknown or continue to dissipate in a fog of half-truths, memes and PR narratives. A media that has the courage to dig through archives, contact witnesses, verify information and publish it even at the cost of personal attacks is one of the few mechanisms that can defend democracy from the normalisation of extremism.

The police themselves have confirmed that they are taking the information in Deník N seriously and will look into it. At the same time, journalist Zdislava Pokorná is facing hateful attacks and attempts to discredit her. It is a paradox: instead of society appreciating that someone is drawing attention to the past of a potential foreign minister, the one who is being targeted is the one who is doing his job.

The danger of relativisation

A section of society tends to downplay such cases. "He was young." "He's just a collector." "Everyone has skeletons." But this is precisely the path that opens the door to the normalization of hate. Nazi symbols are not decorations. Racist statements are not opinions. And heckling is not gestures "taken out of context."

The Turk is not a victim of a media campaign. It is the result of years of tolerating extremist attitudes in the public space. And right now, we stand at a crossroads where we are deciding whether to continue to condone such attitudes - or whether to say a clear "no" as a society.

Filip Turek is not a "controversial figure". He is a man who has long shown himself to be a Nazi. And if someone like that has ambitions to represent the Czech Republic externally, then it is incumbent on the media and society to remind us exactly where such ambitions have led in the past.