An influencer-turned-politician rode his anti-establishment rhetoric to a strong showing in the European elections. But keeping the momentum going could be rough. From Respekt.
What just happened? The coalition of the Oath and Motorists parties, led by Filip Turek, an outspoken critic of the Green Deal and of “progressivism,” finished third in the European Parliament elections in the Czech Republic. They did better than the Mayors, the Pirates, and especially the [far right] SPD, who had for many years been the hegemonic force when it came to picking up protest votes.
A new personality entered Czech politics, one that easily won tens of thousands of votes. The current buzz around Turek could be a one-off, but it could also be the predictor of a wave that will truly shake things up in next year’s parliamentary election.
Where the Votes Came From
Martin, a student, says the main reason he did not vote for Filip Turek was that he was out of the country when the election took place. Other than that, he’s sold. He first became aware of his favorite on an internet TV show in late 2022. Since then, he’s been following Turek.
“He’s to the point, he doesn’t draw his speeches out, he’s not all talk like most politicians,” Martin explains in an Instagram call from abroad. He contrasts that with Lubomir Zaoralek, leader of the Social Democrats, who is “a really smart man but he talks so much he can put people to sleep.”
This is the first important piece of the puzzle. Many voters say they have been following Turek on social media, Instagram in particular. He speaks in short sentences, offering quick takes on issues which are often quite complicated (often the European Green Deal, but also, say, young people’s mental health, or asylum policy).
Especially when it comes to the Green Deal, his original profession of racing driver and collector of old Jaguars and Aston Martins is a strength. He speaks with self-confidence, selling his lifestyle of cars, suits, and trips to luxury destinations. He also likes to remind people that he’s a “boy from the housing estate.” He eventually ran for the coalition of the Prisaha (Oath) and Motorists parties, but he is a member of neither, and initially, he did not want to run at all. He was only convinced when the offer was made to lead the coalition’s candidate list.
And he succeeded. Other than ANO’s list-topper Klara Dostalova, he won the second highest number of preferential votes (152,000). A look at the data shows that he did particularly well with young voters, with an average voter age of 38 years. The results of student elections and the success of his Instagram account (he was the most followed Czech candidate there) show that he succeeded in his bid to win over young voters.
“This is the first time in Czech history that we see someone who primarily started as an influencer and then also did well after entering politics,” Jan Charvat, a political scientist at Charles University, notes of Turek’s impact. He says it is symptomatic that this happened in European elections. This poll, unlike national elections, offers nationwide ballot lists with a single leader. According to Charvat, some emotional resistance to EU politics can be identified in most domestic parties. “The setup of this election is a perfect match for this very type of person,” he says.
That is why he doesn’t think we should necessarily expect the Oath-Motorists group to do well again in next year’s national parliamentary election as well. When you look at where their votes came from, you’re in for quite a surprise. It seems the support came from all corners: Spolu, ANO, SPD, as well as from those who normally don’t vote.
A Czech Andrew Tate?
The biggest novelty is the above-mentioned influencer-politician link. “Filip Turek is a bit like the Czech version of Andrew Tate,” says Charvat, referencing the British-American influencer whose social media posts spread a toxic masculine vision of the world. But he’s not an exact equivalent. Tate is much more openly misogynistic and also has alleged criminal connections that many people find despicable, including with highly problematic human trafficking.
“Filip Turek does not present himself in quite the same way. But he does promote a certain type of machismo, conservatism, rebellion against the establishment, and at the same time of power, money, and outward signals like suits, cars, and golden chairs,” he says. Studies of the reach of these messages in Western countries have produced estimates that young men make up 80 percent of their followers, and even in that cohort, only about 20 percent are strongly attracted. The remaining 20 percent, however, are perfect targets for a leader like Turek.
The number of votes Turek won in the European elections would probably be enough for him to succeed on the national parliamentary ballot, too. That, however, does not automatically mean that the two-party coalition is certain to do well. A number of obstacles could pop up.
“The coalition will now receive a lot of money and will have to think about how to spend it,” says Charvat, noting that it was money that led to quarrels in a number of newbie political formations, eventually causing them to split up.
Another variable could be Turek’s work in the European Parliament, which is also referenced by the student Martin. “To many people, and I partially include myself in this category, Filip Turek represents a kind of political salvation. The question remains whether he will actually be that salvation, whether he will truly fight for Czech interests, and not just go to the parliament for money,” he says. By “fighting for Czech interests,” he means that Turek should make it clear in Brussels that “his” Czechs do not agree with the planned restrictions on internal combustion engines. Turek’s collaboration with the big ANO or ODS parties, which has already been hinted at by respective party leaders Andrej Babis and Alexandr Vondra in their post-election statements, could also raise problems for his supporters.
[Oath leader] Robert Slachta has already said that Oath and the Motorists wish to continue their collaboration in the upcoming national parliamentary election as well. That election, however, will not take place until October 2025. “The momentum might be gone by then – it is not easy to maintain it for such a long time. We don’t know how their candidate list is going to be set up, and whatever ANO and SPD do will also have an impact,” Charvat surmises. In other words, to what extent the two parties will try to pry away Oath and Motorists’ new followers. And especially, whether they will be successful in their efforts.
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Frantisek Trojan covers politics, sports, and other areas for the Czech newsweekly Respekt, where this article originally appeared. Republished by permission. Translated by Matus Nemeth.
