2021 Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia leadership election

2021 Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia leadership election
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Candidate Kateřina Konečná Josef Skála
Electoral vote 175 70
Percentage 55.73 22.29
 
Candidate Hana Aulická Jírovcová Jan Zámarský
Electoral vote 63 6
Percentage 20.06 1.91
Leader of KSČM before election

Vojtěch Filip

 Elected Leader of KSČM

Kateřina Konečná

The Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (KSČM) held a leadership election on 23 October 2021. MEP Kateřina Konečná was elected the new leader.

Background

KSČM received only 8% in 2017 legislative election and was reduced to 15 seats. Party's support in opinion polls was reduced since then and party's members became worried that party might not enter parliament during next legislative election. In October 2019 party's opponents of incumbent leader Vojtěch Filip started to focus on Ústí region Governor Oldřich Bubeníček as a potential candidate for leader. Bubeníček was endorsed by Josef Skála who ran against Filip during previous elections.[1] Bubeníček stated that he doesn't plan to run, as he believes that party should be run by someone younger.[2][3]

Petr Šimůnek announced his candidacy on 5 October 2019.[4]

Olomouc regional organisation held a Conference on 1 February 2020. It gave nomination to Kateřina Konečná and Vojtěch Filip.[5] On 7 February 2020 Filip stated that he is yet to decide if he runs for another term.[6]

MEP Kateřina Konečná confirmed her Candidacy on 2 March 2020.[7] Election was postponed on 13 March 2020 due to 2020 coronavirus outbreak in the Czech Republic.[8] New date was announced for 28 November 2020. 10 Candidates were running at the time while Zdeněk Ondráček was reported to plan announcing his Candidacy in November 2020.[9]

KSČM suffered heavy losses during 2020 Czech regional elections which led Filip to offer his resignation to the party committee. It will decided on 14 November 2020 if it accepts it. Despite this Filip didn't rule out his candidacy to the position of leader.[10] Filip's reelection was deemed unlikely due to party's poor election results.[11][12] There were 11 candidates applied to the election including Filip, Konečná, Ondráček or Aulická Jírovcová.[13]

Filip announced on 9 October 2020 that he won't be running for reelection.[14] The party had to delay its congress on 6 November 2020 due to second wave of Covid-19 pandemic.[15] As a result Filip led the party to 2021 Czech legislative election. It received only 3.6% of votes and lost all of its seats in the Chamber of Deputies.[16] MEP Kateřina Konečná reconfirmed her candidacy following party's defeat.[17] Election of the new leader was moved to 23 October 2021. Hana Aulická Jírovcová, Kateřina Konečná, Josef Skála and Jan Zámarský were the only candidates who eventually decided to apply candidacy. Aulická Jírovcová was endorsed by outgoing leader Filip.[18]

Candidates

Withdrawn

  • Stanislav Grospič, MP.[9]
  • Leo Luzar, MP.[19]
  • Zdeněk Ondráček, MP.[5]
  • Petr Šimůnek[20]
  • Martin Říha, Chairman of Brno City committee.[5]
  • Miloslava Vostrá, MP.[5]

Declined

  • Oldřich Bubeníček, governor of Ústí region.[2]
  • Vojtěch Filip, the incumbent leader.[5] He announced on 9 October 2020 that he won't run for another term.[21]

Voting

Voting was held on 23 October 2021. Konečná was elected in first round by large margin.[22] She received 175 votes while her main opponent Skála received 75 votes, Aulická Jírovcová received 63 votes and Zámarský 6.[23]

Candidate Votes %
Kateřina Konečná 175 54.86%
Josef Skála 75 23.51%
Hana Aulická Jírovcová 63 19.75%
Jan Zámarský 6 1.88%

References

  1. ^ "Poslední bitva vzplála. Rebelové v KSČM chtějí sesadit předsedu Filipa". iDNES.cz. 5 October 2019. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Filipovi se bouří strana. Vyzyvatelem má být hejtman Bubeníček". parlamentnilisty.cz. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  3. ^ "Vojtěch Filip na smetiště dějin? KSČM se houfuje proti němu. Už nejen Skála". parlamentnilisty.cz. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  4. ^ "Sochu Koněva chce Šimůnek zapsat mezi kulturní památky. Utká se o šéfa KSČM". iDNES.cz. 5 October 2019. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g "Kandidáti na předsedu KSČM". ceskatelevize.cz (in Czech). Česká televize. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
  6. ^ a b "Krajské konference KSČM". ceskatelevize.cz (in Czech). Česká televize. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
  7. ^ "Europoslankyně Konečná chce do čela KSČM. Ráda by stranu posunula nahoru". iDNES.cz. 1 March 2020. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  8. ^ "Komunisté odložili kvůli koronaviru sjezd". novinky.cz. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  9. ^ a b "Sjezd KSČM: Filip proti deseti rivalům. O post šéfa se "popere" i Ondráček?". Blesk.cz. 9 May 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  10. ^ "Vedení KSČM v čele s Filipem se hroutí, dává své funkce k dispozici". iDNES.cz. 6 October 2020. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
  11. ^ "Komunisté mají rok na resuscitaci. Chtějí se o ni pokusit bez Filipa". seznamzpravy.cz. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
  12. ^ "'Dostali jsme se na úplné dno.' Komunisté po historické prohře řeší, kdo by mohl nahradit Filipa". Lidovky.cz (in Czech). 7 October 2020. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
  13. ^ a b "Na šéfa KSČM chce kandidovat jedenáct lidí". novinky.cz. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
  14. ^ "Filip už nepovede KSČM. Ve hře je podle Dolejše délka tolerance vlády". iDNES.cz. 9 October 2020. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
  15. ^ "Epidemie odkládá sjezd KSČM. Filip ji vede dál, nechce utíkat od odpovědnosti". iDNES.cz. 6 November 2020. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  16. ^ "Podporovaly Babiše, vypadly ze sněmovny. V čele KSČM i ČSSD končí i jejich lídři". Aktuálně.cz (in Czech). 9 October 2021. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  17. ^ "Do čela KSČM se po volebním debaklu hlásí Konečná. Chce radikální levici". novinky.cz. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  18. ^ "Komunisté vybírají nástupce Filipa, zájem mají čtyři kandidáti - Seznam Zprávy". seznamzpravy.cz. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  19. ^ "Část KSČM se chce zbavit Filipa, volá po nových tvářích a energii". seznamzpravy.cz. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  20. ^ "Ať je Koněvova socha kulturní památkou, navrhuje kandidát na šéfa KSČM Šimůnek". Aktuálně.cz (in Czech). 7 October 2019. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
  21. ^ "Filip už nebude obhajovat post šéfa komunistů". novinky.cz. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
  22. ^ "Novou šéfkou KSČM se stala Konečná. Vyhrála s velkou převahou". novinky.cz. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  23. ^ "Komunisty povede po volebním debaklu europoslankyně Kateřina Konečná". iDNES.cz (in Czech). 23 October 2021. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
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