Massive, sustained protests led to the 2021 downfall of billionaire oligarch Andrej Babiš, dubbed ‘the Czech Trump’
“In 2018, a popular movement, Million Moments for Democracy, began organizing rallies in the Czech capital, Prague,” against billionaire prime minister Andrej Babiš, “the Czech Trump.”
Despite “lost momentum caused by Covid and Babiš’s stubborn refusal to resign,” the movement succeeded in converting “discontent into votes at the ballot box” in 2021.
“We in the Czech Republic are an example of how long-term civic-society activities can bring, or help bring, political change.”
Jiří Pehe emphasized: “You can change things… but you have to be active.” “There has to be a very strong message towards the political class.”
I believe the French are the example you’re thinking of.
I didn’t click through into the article, but while the achievement is huge, it is not as much a success story as this post makes it seem and the fight is far from over. Babiš is still in the Parliament, he’s been in opposition, but the current (neoliberalism-friendly, status quo friendly) government is not very popular and Babiš’s party is projected to win the next elections based on polls. He still has about 25-30 % of die-hard voters and other parties are fragmented and disjointed. I fear that he might be able to assemble a government with Communists (who have already quietly tolerated him in a previous government) and right-wing populists…
Thinking about it now, I think a US-like scenario is quite likely–a first term of madness, oligarchy and corruption, then a brief one-term respite which does not address the systemic issues that got us the first term in the first place, and then another return to the madness. Though I’ve also heard speculation that seeing Trump’s antics in the second term is what might make people here less likely to vote for Babiš.
The great thing about messaging like this is that the party can ignore you forever but now it’s your fault for not being more active.
Clearly those in charge just do more than you do. It’s not because they’re already fortified in their positions and keep pouring hot oil on anyone who puts up a ladder.
