The Republic Movement (Slovak: Hnutie Republika) is an extremist[5][6][7][8] far-right[9] political party in Slovakia led by Milan Uhrík.[10][11] The party is often regarded as neo-fascist[2][12][3][13][4] despite some political experts contesting this description.[5][9]
Republic Movement Hnutie Republika | |
|---|---|
.svg) | |
| Chairperson | Milan Uhrík |
| Founded | 9 March 2021 |
| Split from | People's Party Our Slovakia (ĽSNS) |
| Preceded by | Voice of the People (legal) |
| Headquarters | Nitra |
| Youth wing | Mladí Republikáni |
| Women's wing | Ženy v Republike |
| Membership (2022) |  1,044 (31. 12. 2022)[1] |
| Ideology | |
| Political position | |
| European Parliament group | Non-Inscrits |
| Colours | Red and blue |
| National Council | 0 / 150 |
| European Parliament | 2 / 15 |
| Website | |
| hnutie-republika.sk | |
Founded in March 2021 by Uhrík and other former members of the far-right neo-Nazi party People's Party Our Slovakia (ĽSNS) of Marian Kotleba, the movement took over and renamed the existing party Voice of the People (Slovak: Hlas Ľudu) led by Peter Marček, which had only 50 members in 2018. Marček was later kicked out of the party.
Due to the defection of former ĽSNS representatives, the party had five seats in the National Council of the Slovak Republic before the 2023 election. Uhrík was elected a member of the European Parliament for ĽSNS in 2019. Although the party therefore has presence in the European Parliament, it remains non-affiliated with any European Parliament group.[14]
History
The party was formed on 9 March 2021 by taking over and renaming an already-established political party, Voice of the People (Slovak: Hlas Ľudu).[15] Before this, the party was led by Peter Marček, and had only 50 members as of 2018.[16] Milan Uhrík became the party's new chairman. Apart from Uhrík, additional former members of the far-right neo-Nazi party ĽSNS joined the newly-renamed party. This included Milan Mazurek, Miroslav Suja, Ondrej Ďurica, and Eduard Kočiš, among others.
Marček was kicked out of the party in June 2022.[17] The party accused him of "doing his own politics" without consulting Uhrík. Marček, however, accused them of neo-Nazi tendencies and beliefs, and stated his objections were the primary reason for his firing. As of 2022, the party consists of 1,044 members.[18]
Political positions
Political experts consider the party to be radically far-right extremist and right-wing populist.[5][6][9] The party is generally described as neo-fascist by some news publications,[2][3][4] but some political experts contest this description.[5][9]
Foreign policy
The party's voter-base is highly Eurosceptic[19] and Russophilic.[20] The party's political positions are radically critical of Slovakia's membership in the EU and NATO.[5]
The party advocates for the withdrawal of Slovakia out of NATO.[21] It also advocates against sending any and all lethal military aid to Ukraine during the Russo-Ukrainian war, beginning after the Russian invasion.[22]
Uhrík supported a ceasefire during the 2023 Israel–Hamas War, describing an independent Palestinian state as the only long-term solution to the Israel–Palestine conflict. However, he suggested that this state should be the culmination of the peace process rather than the beginning, to avoid the Palestinians making additional demands from the Israeli side.[23]
Social issues
The party advocates for complete suspension of government support to all non-governmental organizations, especially ones it describes as "rainbow and Soros' organizations."[24]
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the party took a staunch anti-vaccination position and advocated for COVID-19 vaccinations of children to be halted.[25]
The party takes a staunch anti-LGBT position. It voted in favor of rejecting the European Parliament’s appeal for the betterment of conditions of LGBT people in Slovakia.[26][27] It then also voted in favor of a ban on legal gender change. This bill failed, however.[28]
The party's leader, Uhrík, stated the party has the greatest amount of members in the Slovak Union of Anti-Fascist Campaigners of any party, which the organization rejected. The organization then called the party's representatives fascist in response.[2] Later, after Uhrík published a photo of him alongside the organization's president, the organization's members protested the move and called the party's members neo-Nazi, homophobic and racist.[13]
Public image
Social media
The party keeps a strong presence on social media, especially Facebook and TikTok.[29] It is known for the rampant spread of election disinformation,[30] Russian wartime propaganda,[31] and anti-vaccination rhetoric.[25][32][33]
The party was taken to court over the defamation of infectiologist Peter Sabak via their Facebook profile.[34] The party lost the case and was ordered to pay €15,000 for the immaterial damage caused, as well as offer a public apology.[35][33]
In June 2023, YouTube terminated the accounts of multiple party members and accounts associated with the party.[36]
Relationship with neo-Nazi groups
The founding members of the party, including the leader, Uhrík, defected from the far-right neo-Nazi party ĽSNS in order to found the party.[15]
Milan Mazurek, a founding member and the party's vice-chairman, was convicted of hate speech and thus had his parliamentary seat revoked in 2019.[37] In 2016, he posted a Facebook statement asserting the Holocaust was a "lie and fairy tale".[38] The post was then investigated by the police, as Holocaust denial is outlawed in Slovakia.[38]
Ondrej Ďurica, another founding member and vice-chairman, used to be a frontman for a Slovak neo-Nazi band titled White Resistance (Slovak: Biely odpor).[39][40]
Election results
National Council
| Election | Leader | Votes | % | Rank | Seats | +/– | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Milan Uhrík | 141,099 | 4.8% | 8th | 0 / 150 | New | Extra-parliamentary |
European Parliament
| Election | Group | Leader | Votes | % | Seats | +/– |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | None | Milan Uhrík | 185,137 | 12.53% (#3) | 2 / 13 | 2 |