Commentary
Society
Why the EU Must Include Roma in Its Democracy Strategy – COMMENTARY
16 April 2025
24 May 2022
Czechs are in solidarity with Ukrainians fleeing the war. There is no difference between Prague and the border region, says Jan Černý, Director of Social Integration Programmes at People in Need.
At the beginning of May, there were more than 200 000 Ukrainians in the Czech Republic who had fled the Russian aggression against their country. Why did the Czech Republic manage to accommodate a large wave of refugees now but refused to help even a fraction of the refugees from war-torn Syria a few years ago?
It is the experience of the Soviet occupation of Czechoslovakia, the permanent presence of workers from Ukraine in the Czech Republic before the Russian aggression, coexistence without conflicts, and a similar civilizational circle.
Also important is the clear attitude of most politicians, and the clear communication from both the ruling parties and ANO. Although in the case of ANO there is now a clear thematisation of possible difficulties and criticism of the government before the autumn elections.