The Czech Republic is (hopefully) changing direction, but it will be more conservative. LGBT rights have gone by the wayside in the name of change
Of course, elections are not - and cannot - be completely fair, but they are undoubtedly the best society has in terms of taking into account the wishes and opinions of citizens/voters. Of course, from a purely cynical point of view, it could be argued that even the most noble intentions will eventually give way to the desire for power and money - which may also be "supported" to some extent by the fact that there is usually no easy path to any goal, but a series of concessions and compromises are always required. Nevertheless, every election is a certain chance for "optimistic politics". They are, in fact, also a demonstration of a certain listening to each and every person/citizen/voter - and answering the related key question posed towards those to whom power is delegated, i.e. "do you hear us"? And it seems that this time the voters have already 'shouted' this question quite clearly.
A somewhat symbolic election
Goodbye, communists; goodbye, social democracy. These are the two key messages that emerged from this year's elections. (That is, besides the very narrow victory of the SPOLU coalition over ANO, which is of symbolic significance: the difference in the number of voters is just over 30,000 votes, and the coronavirus pandemic, which was not well managed by the ANO-led government, cost the lives of just as many people). While political analysts describe the Social Democrats' departure from the House as a consequence of their governmental cooperation with ANO, the Communists' opposition is of much greater (albeit again more symbolic) significance. This is the first time since the Velvet Revolution that this party will not be represented in Parliament.
While the victory of the SPOLU coalition gives hope that the Czech Republic will change its direction and break away from the path taken by Hungary, on the other hand, the conservatism of this group can also be quite warning (just look at the high representation of the People's Party in the Chamber of Deputies, not to mention the fact that members of ODS and TOP09 are often very conservative). In particular, the hopes of many LGBT people for equal rights (in terms of marriage and also family arrangements, hence the adoption of children) are melting away like the proverbial steam over a pot, at least for the next four years.
"At the moment, we do not know how many fair-minded MPs and MPwomen will get into the House of Commons. It's a good thing that the most extreme anti-gay and anti-lesbian, bi and trans people - that is, with the exception of the SPD - didn't make it into the House. The other relatively good news is that parties that want to improve the situation for lesbians and gays have a majority in the House, but it probably won't be through marriage. And probably the best news is that two of the people who got the most preferential votes got them thanks to their support for marriage for all," Czeslaw Walek, a Czech lawyer and LGBT activist, told LUI, but these good news are really only relatively good. Not only is equal marriage virtually unenforceable in this political constellation, but women may also start to have some concerns. Indeed, where Poland is heading under the tutelage of conservatives and believers probably needs no further emphasis.
Quid pro quo
But whether we consider the local, regional or national level, decision-making powers always rest in the hands of elected representatives - those who are chosen by the voters to be their voice. Elections are thus a way of voicing their concerns, of highlighting the issues that weigh on each individual. Unfortunately, the rights of LGBT people were not what was at stake this time. And so we have to accept that, at the cost of not turning the Czech Republic into another "Orbanistan", the lives of LGBT people are unlikely to improve in this new term either. On the contrary, it will be a victory if it does not get worse - which de facto also applies to women's rights. And in the end, what the Japanese author Hajime Isaiyama says in his dystopian story Attack of the Titans is actually true, namely that 'no matter what option we choose, no one will be able to say whether it is good or bad until we arrive at some outcome resulting from our choice. The only thing we can do is to trust that we will not regret our choice."
