November 2024 Czech Pirate Party leadership election

November 2024 Czech Pirate Party leadership election
← 2024 9 November 2024[1] 2026 →
 
Candidate Zdeněk Hřib Lukáš Wagenknecht
Delegate votes 454 401
Percentage 52.4% 46.3%
Leader of Pirates before election

Ivan Bartoš

 Elected Leader of Pirates

Zdeněk Hřib

The Czech Pirate Party held a leadership election on 9 November 2024. The previous party leadership, including Ivan Bartoš, resigned in September 2024, following poor results in the regional and senate elections.

Background

The Czech Pirate Party had been led by Ivan Bartoš since 2016. Under his leadership, they became the third largest party in the Czech Republic at the 2017 legislative election, with 22 seats.[2] Bartoš also led the party during the 2021 election, which the party contested as part of the Pirates and Mayors electoral alliance. Due to preferential voting, the Pirates received only 4 seats of the 37 seats won by the alliance. After the election, a part of the membership called for Bartoš' resignation.[3] The party joined the Fiala government following the election.

In 2024, the party suffered heavy losses in the 2024 European Parliament, regional and senate elections. Bartoš then resigned as leader and announced he would not run in the subsequent leadership election.[4][5]

In October 2024, the Pirate members voted to leave the government.[6]

Campaign

Candidate announcements

On 23 September 2024, Lipavský stated that he would not be running due to his duties as foreign minister, as well as not feeling like someone who could unite the party.[7] Gregorová also declined to run, stating that it would not be fair to voters who elected her to the European Parliament.[8] Špoták expressed interest in running but said he did not feel that he had support within the party.[9][10] On 23 September 2024, Mikuláš Peksa and Jana Holomčík Leitnerová [cs] said they were considering running.[11] Seznam Zprávy reported on 25 September 2024 that former Senator Lukáš Wagenknecht and MP Olga Richterová had strong support within the party. Neither of them ruled out standing at the time.[12] On 2 October 2024, Wagenknecht announced his candidacy.[13] On 8 October 2024, MPs Olga Richterová, Jakub Michálek and Klára Kocmanová confirmed to MF DNES that they would not be running.[14] On 10 October 2024, Zdeněk Hřib announced his candidacy.[15] On 15 October, David Witosz declared his candidacy.[16] On 23 October 2024, former deputy mayor of Prague 3 Štěpán Štrébl announced his candidacy.[17]

Candidates

Potential candidates

Declined

Voting

In the first round, where each delegate could vote for as many candidates as they wanted, Hřib won a plurality with 511 votes followed by Wagenknecht with 494 votes.[22] These two candidates advanced from the first round of voting. In the second round, Hřib received 454 votes and Wagenknecht 401 votes, with Hřib elected as the new leader.[23]

Candidate Votes (1st round)[22] Votes (2nd round)[23]
Zdeněk Hřib 511 454 52.42%
Lukáš Wagenknecht 494 401 46.30%
Zbyněk Miklík 209
Štěpán Štrébl 178
Invalid 11 1.27%
Turnout 819 866

Aftermath

Figures leaving the party

The party's expert on addiction issues, Jana Michailidu, left the party following the election due to political differences with the new leadership.[23] Former MEP Marcel Kolaja, Zbyněk Miklík, and former leader of the Young Pirates Georgia Hejduková also left the party.[24]

References

  1. ^ "Lipavský podporuje vedení Pirátů, změny strany považuje ale za nutné". Mladá fronta Dnes (in Czech). Mafra. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  2. ^ "Piráti si na počátku ledna zvolí vedení, Bartoš chce pokračovat". Deník (in Czech). Vltava Labe Media. 27 November 2017. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  3. ^ "Vedení Pirátů přijalo zodpovědnost za ztrátu mandátů. 'Bude se to řešit na fóru,' zmínil Bartoš". Czech Radio (in Czech). 23 September 2024. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  4. ^ "Po porážce rezignace. Bartoš a celé předsednictvo končí v čele Pirátů". Mladá fronta Dnes (in Czech). Mafra. 22 September 2024. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  5. ^ Šopfová, Kristýna (22 September 2024). "Bartoš rezignoval na post předsedy Pirátů". Novinky.cz (in Czech). Borgis. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  6. ^ "Foreign Minister Lipavský to end his membership in Pirate Party". Radio Prague International. 1 October 2024. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
  7. ^ a b Menšík, Jan (23 September 2024). "Lipavský: Musíme se zbavit komoušů a vypnout fórum". Novinky.cz (in Czech). Borgis. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  8. ^ a b "Piráti hledají superstar". Novinky.cz (in Czech). Borgis. 23 September 2024. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  9. ^ a b Loudová, Daniela (23 September 2024). "Piráti berou opozici s pokorou, Špoták by mohl nahradit Bartoše ve vedení". Plzeňský deník (in Czech). Vltava Labe Media. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  10. ^ "Plzeňský hejtman Špoták zatím necítí podporu, aby kandidoval na předsedu Pirátů". Deník N (in Czech). 23 September 2024. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  11. ^ a b c "Rezignace byla adekvátní, reagují Piráti. Někteří kandidaturu do čela zvažují". Mladá fronta Dnes. 23 September 2024. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  12. ^ "Wagenknecht, Richterová. U Pirátů se objevují první jména Bartošova nástupce". Seznam Zprávy (in Czech). 25 September 2024. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  13. ^ a b Šopfová, Kristýna (2 October 2024). "Wagenknecht potvrdil kandidaturu na šéfa Pirátů". Novinky.cz (in Czech). Borgis. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  14. ^ a b c d e Vachtl, Jiří (9 October 2024). "Měsíc do pirátského sjezdu a volby předsedy. Stranu nechce skoro nikdo vést". iDNES.cz (in Czech). Mafra. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
  15. ^ a b "Zdeněk Hřib bude kandidovat na předsedu Pirátů. Stranu chce "vycentrovat"". Aktuálně.cz [cs] (in Czech). Economia. Czech News Agency. 10 October 2024. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  16. ^ a b c Petr Jiříček (16 October 2024). "David Witosz kandiduje na předsedu Pirátů. Chce, aby Pražáci jezdili do Ostravy". Deník (in Czech). Vltava Labe Media. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  17. ^ a b "O post šéfa Pirátů se uchází šest lidí, před půlnocí přibyla "vzpoura na pravoboku"". Aktuálně.cz [cs] (in Czech). Economia. Czech News Agency. 24 October 2024. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  18. ^ "Pirát Soumar: Nejvhodnějšími kandidáty na předsedu Lipavský, Špoták či Hajnová". ČeskéNoviny.cz (in Czech). Czech News Agency. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  19. ^ a b c d "Kdo převezme kormidlo Pirátů po Bartošovi? Ve hře je uznávaný ministr i kritička vlády". CNN Prima News (in Czech). Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  20. ^ Doubravová, Lenka (21 October 2024). "Piráti "grilovali" kandidáty na předsedu. Hřiba zpovídali kvůli korupci i funkcím". Aktuálně.cz (in Czech). Economia. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
  21. ^ a b "Piráti budou volit šéfa strany ze čtyř adeptů, Šípová a Witosz odstoupili". Seznam.cz (in Czech). Czech News Agency. 9 November 2024. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  22. ^ a b "CF 27/2024 Volba předsedy České pirátské strany - 1. kolo". Czech Pirate Party (in Czech). 9 November 2024. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  23. ^ a b c Černík, Tomáš; Stein, Dominik (9 November 2024). "Piráti se rozhodli: „Kapitánem" místo Bartoše bude Hřib! Michailidu na protest ruší členství". Blesk (in Czech). Czech News Center. Czech News Agency. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  24. ^ Maci, Josef (10 November 2024). "Po sjezdu vystupují z Pirátské strany. K Michailidu se přidal i Kolaja". Seznam Zprávy (in Czech). Retrieved 10 November 2024.