The "Heretic" debate on European asylum quotas in the Czech Republic: A content analysis

Abstract

This article examines the Czech political scene, by focusing on the attitude of the main political parties in the Czech Republic and their attitude towards the issue of migration quotas in the period between May 2015 and July 2017. It touches upon the migration quota issue by, first of all, shortly describing main characteristics of Czech political parties in terms of European integration in general and additionally by discussing the modes in which Czech political parties comprehended the migration quota issue and what sort of messages they communicate to the Czech public in this respect. Methodologically, the article rests upon both Content Analysis and, to a lesser degree, Discourse Analysis, and proves that Czech political parties did not only have negative views of the quota issue during the stated period, but some of them also referred to this particular matter when discussing the Czech position (and the future) in the European Union.

The Legitimacy of European Union Migration and Asylum Policy among the Czech Public

“…In such discourse, critiques often point to the lack of appropriate security measures or express displeasure with 'refugee quotas', which serve as a pull factor for migration (Braun, 2020). In the Czech case, the privileged position of the quota system is logical; indeed, it has been the key agenda for Czech political parties across the party scene (Hrabálek & Đorđević, 2017). In sum, within this discourse, input and throughput legitimacy is questioned; meanwhile, security-oriented output legitimacy is desirable.…”

Our Democracy: Czech Adolescents Talk About the Meaning of Democracy and Attitudes Toward Immigrants

“…None of our respondents had immigrant as a friend or at the classroom. Therefore, their fear could be the fear of unknown or fear fed by the images presented by the media at the time of data collection, emphasizing security risks and rejection of the quota system proposed by European Union (beginning of the refugee influx in summer 2015; Hrabálek & Đorđević, ; Tkaczyk, Pospěch, & Macek, ). Considering recent meta‐analysis that has shown that the effects of both direct and indirect contact are successful in prejudice reduction and tend to last over the time (Lemmer & Wagner, ) and study focused on effects of negative contact (Barlow et al., ), we cannot omit the possible influence media had in shaping our respondents’ opinions.…”

“… ** Lawsuit—whether Czech Republic should engage in legal action against refugee quotas proposed by European Union (Hrabálek & Đorđević, ).…”

“…Historical background embodied in Czech society is also present in media political discourses presented by current political parties toward asylum quotas in the Czech Republic and toward immigration crisis itself. Presented research took place during the peak of refugee influx in June 2015, when all political parties presented negative rhetoric toward acceptance of refugees and granting them asylum (content analysis, and discourse analysis of national newspapers conducted between mid‐May 2015 and July 2017 by Hrabálek & Đorđević, ). Political representatives expressed disagreement with the quota system, a solution to migration crisis preferred by European Union, and labeled them “as being essentially anti‐Czech, against national interests, and ultimately anti‐European” (Hrabálek & Đorđević, , p. 7).…”

“…Presented research took place during the peak of refugee influx in June 2015, when all political parties presented negative rhetoric toward acceptance of refugees and granting them asylum (content analysis, and discourse analysis of national newspapers conducted between mid‐May 2015 and July 2017 by Hrabálek & Đorđević, ). Political representatives expressed disagreement with the quota system, a solution to migration crisis preferred by European Union, and labeled them “as being essentially anti‐Czech, against national interests, and ultimately anti‐European” (Hrabálek & Đorđević, , p. 7). Prevailing discourse among politicians included Euroscepticism and fueling the fear by emphasizing the danger of the immigration and security risks to Czech society.…”