David František Wagner is doing his best to increase participation. He is No. 5 on the list of the Pirate Party, the third party in the country in the opinion polls. In the central square of Ústí nad Labem, he distributes pirate pens, tattoos and towels. And the campaign newspaper, with the party’s positions.

He says many Czechs don’t realize what the EU brings them. “This square has been renovated with European money. There is a sign there, near the statue that has been renovated, but for many people it looks like magic money. As if it had fallen from a helicopter. Often the region or the Czech ministry takes all the credit while… Most of the money was provided by the European Union.

Ústí nad Labem was once a thriving industrial city, but since the mines closed, the region has fallen further and further behind cities like Prague and Brno economically. “This is a ‘structurally damaged’ area, which deserves all kinds of EU money,” says František Wagner. “But a lot of the money doesn’t end up in the right place, for example because of corruption.”

Vladimir Kozak, a hacker volunteer, hears a lot of misinformation while handing out leaflets. “They were afraid of Russian propaganda and therefore anti-EU.” It is ironic, but for his pro-European Liberal Party, these voters are better off staying at home. “This is more convenient for us,” he said with a laugh. Yet he campaigns almost every day.

The Eurobarometer poll showed that at least a third of Czechs think negatively about the EU, compared to an average of 17 percent in the EU. According to analysts, Czech politicians have done little to “sell” the EU to the people since their accession in 2004. The focus has been mainly on economic benefits, and to a lesser extent on the importance of joint action, safety, norms and values.

The European Parliament is trying to respond to this With a campaign That responds to emotion. In an election campaign video, older Europeans tell the younger generation about their experiences with war and dictatorship. A Czech grandmother tells her grandson about the Prague Spring and the struggle for freedom. Message: Vote and protect democracy.

According to František Wagner, low turnout and low approval rates do not necessarily mean that Czechs are strongly anti-EU. Which Hardcore He believes they will vote after all. “Most non-voters simply have other things on their minds or have stayed away from politics.”

“Czech people just like to complain,” agrees Stefan, who accepts an election newspaper out of politeness, but does not vote. “I’ve lived abroad for years and don’t really follow politics.”

Residents of Ústí nad Labem express a lot of frustration about politics in general. “I haven’t voted for years, because the politicians here in the Czech Republic don’t care about us anyway,” says a resident of a suburb of the city. A woman says she has never missed an election, but is now so disgusted by politics that she stays at home.

František Wagner believes that anger over national politics may push voters to the polls to vote against the government. This is a disadvantage for his Pirate Party, which is part of the current government. “But the attendance number is rising!”