Czech Republic: President signs law prohibiting the promotion or support of communism

The president of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel, signed last Thursday a new amendment to the Penal Code that criminalizes the promotion of communist ideology, equating it with Nazi propaganda.

This measure, which introduces penalties of up to five years in prison, has unleashed a strong reaction from the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (KSČM) and its new electoral alliance "Stačilo" ("Enough").

The amendment amends the Czech Criminal Code to punish those who "establish, support or promote Nazi, communist or other movements that demonstrably aim to suppress human rights and freedoms or incite racial, ethnic, national, religious or class hatred," according to notes from the Epoch Times. The penalties can reach up to five years in prison, depending on the seriousness of the crime.

This reform responds to a demand from historical Czech institutions, such as the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes, which argued that there was an imbalance in the legislation by not punishing the promotion of communism with the same severity as that of Nazism.

The Czech Republic, which was part of the Soviet bloc during the Cold War as Chechoslovakia, has a long history of rejecting symbols and speech associated with the communist regime, which ruled the country from 1948 to 1989.

Adverse reactions

The KSČM, led by Eurodeputy Kateřina Konečná, called the move a politically motivated attempt to weaken the left ahead of the elections. In a statement, the party said, "This is another failed attempt to take KSČM out of the law and intimidate critics of the current regime." The formation, which currently has no seats in parliament after the 2021 elections, is part of the "Stačilo" alliance, which according to recent polls would get 5% support, the minimum needed to return to the lower house.

Elections in sight

The law comes at a time of high political sensitivity, with the October elections in sight.