Nerudova has been negotiating intensively with several political groups about her candidacy in the European elections. Credit: Danuse Nerudova, via Facebook.
Prague, Aug 18 (CTK) – Former Czech presidential candidate Danuse Nerudova intends to run for the European Parliament in the 2024 elections for the Mayors and Independents (STAN), and is one of the candidates to become the party’s lead candidate alongside former MP Jan Farsky.
STAN leader and Deputy PM Vit Rakusan said Nerudova, 44, formerly the rector of Brno’s Mendel University, can help the Mayors create a convincing and confident European candidate list.
“I feel responsibility to all who gave me their votes in the presidential election and wanted a change. We must stand up against populism again and offer an alternative,” said former university rector Nerudova, who finished third in the first round of the presidential election in January, and thus did not advance to the runoff vote.
Farsky and Nerudova’s nominations to be the lead candidate are subject to approval by the STAN broader leadership. The national committee will decide in late summer.
Nerudova received 13.9% of the vote in the presidential election, with more than 777,000 people voting for her. Ahead of the runoff, she supported the eventual winner Petr Pavel.
Nerudova said yesterday that thanks to the unprecedented wave of enthusiasm, she managed to prevent ex-PM and current opposition ANO leader Andrej Babis from being elected president.
“But the populists are not giving up and want to conquer our country again at any cost. For the sake of our children, we must not allow them to do so,” she stressed.
Rakusan said he appreciated that Nerudova had decided not to split the liberal pro-European democratic forces by founding her own party. “I am personally very pleased by her decision to run for STAN,” he said. “She can help us create a convincing, confident European candidate list of people who have the ambition to co-determine the future of Europe, not to play for their own benefits or turn the EU into a ‘bugbear’ to score false nationalist points.”
Nerudova has been negotiating intensively with several political groups about her candidacy in the European elections.
“With one goal in mind,” she said. “To find partners with whom we will fight for key reforms, a better life for everyone without distinction and for equal opportunities for everyone, no matter who they are, where they come from, whom they love or what they believe in,” she said. She added that she and STAN shared focus on a number of issues, such as nature protection, support for the countryside, and equal rights for all.
STAN will run solo in the European elections and will complete its list of candidates with independent personalities who share liberal and pro-European values, the movement said in a press release. The candidate list will be entitled “Mayors and Personalities for Europe.”
Farsky told iRozhlas.cz that seven STAN members and three “personalities” should be among the first ten candidates, and six STAN members in the second ten.
Farsky described Nerudova as a strong personality with liberal values and pro-European views. “I am honoured that she will be the leader of the candidate list on the list of personalities for Europe. We understand each other not only as far as the program is concerned, but also in human terms. I believe that our synergy will help us achieve a convincing result in the European elections,” he said.
Nerudova said she believed that the candidates on the STAN list can bring positive changes and new energy to European politics. “I believe that together we will prepare a European program that will move our country and the Union forward. I consider it crucial to focus on the resilience of Europe and ensuring our sovereignty in terms of energy, raw materials and security,” she said.
The junior government Pirates will vote on their EP election leader in mid-September, with MEPs Marcel Kolaja, Marketa Gregorova, Mikulas Peksa, former MEP Mikulas Ferjencik and neurosurgeon Albert Sterba running for the post.
The other government coalition parties, the Civic Democrats (ODS), Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL) and TOP 09, are still deciding whether to run as the SPOLU coalition, like in the previous general election, or to run solo.
Daily Hospodarske noviny reported yesterday that the parties were more likely to run separately than on a joint list as SPOLU. According to behind-the-scenes information, this intention is now also prevailing in TOP 09, whose members do not want a possible two-party coalition with the KDU-CSL either because of fears of being ousted by preferential votes.
The ANO party leadership will discuss regional nominations for the European elections in the next few weeks. First deputy chairman Karel Havlicek said there were almost 30 prospective candidates.
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