Municipal elections in Prague: The municipality banned advertisements on lamps. Politicians in Žižkov had advertising cubes erected in the park
After four years, the people of Prague will go to the polls again. Elections to municipal councils will take place in the fall of 2022. However, the fight for voters has already broken out. In front of the Viktoria Žižkov tram stop on the grounds of the Radost park, two giant cubes with the policies of the TOP 09 and STAN parties have grown up. However, the billboard started a heated debate among residents on social networks, in which the mayor himself joined the “troika”.
“Visual smog!”
“You put a giant advertising smog in the park, and add a lame, boring slogan that screams that the public space is yours for this ad?” one of the users criticizes the billboards. “As a citizen I do not agree with the visual smog and insensitive placement,” added another.
Opponents of political advertising in Radost Park are mainly bothered by the fact that, according to them, the billboard unnecessarily occupies the grassy area in front of the Viktoria Žižkov Stadium. They also don’t like the slogan “public space is our common home,” which, according to residents, the politician uses to justify placing advertising in the park. In addition, advertising acts as visual smog.
“Unfortunately, it can’t be done otherwise!”
Among other things, the billboards show the candidate for the mayor of Prague 3, Michal Vronský, who agrees that political advertising is a certain form of visual smog, but at the same time, I think that it takes on a different meaning before the elections. “Municipal elections are traditionally accompanied by lower participation. Many people have no idea that in a month and a half there will be an election that, of all our elections, will have the most impact on the way things are going on in their neighborhood,” informs Bleska of the candidate for mayor of Prague 3.
4 years ago, the citizens of Prague were alerted to the holding of elections by classic monoliths on lamps. According to Michal Vronský, at that moment many people started to register the elections and became more interested in them. A candidate for mayor also in a country in all of Western Europe, where this practice works well, just needs to go to Germany or Austria at any time before the elections.
“But the problem is that this year the municipality banned these solitaires on lamps, and that’s why we started looking for other forms of outdoor advertising, the aim of which is to increase citizens’ interest in elections, and thus democracy.” responds to criticism of the “troika” mayoral candidate.
What about the mayor?
“My dear, to tell you the truth, I don’t like it twice either. I even admit that even if I’m a politician, I’d prefer not to be on any poster,” reports Jiří Ptáček on social networks. However, it stands to reason that a billboard of this size is a necessary evil two months before municipal elections.
“Our experience from talking to people is that most people don’t know about this event. At the same time, barely 35% of people go to municipal elections,” replies the mayor of Prague 3. Like Michal Vronský, he also argues against the banning of solid-lithium boards, which people were used to and which always functioned not only as political agitation, but also as an invitation to the elections.
According to Tadeáš Provazník, the press spokesman of the municipality, solid-lithium boards on columns are not officially allowed just because of the visual smog. Their placement may only be permitted by exception. “This is the case in the past, when an exception was accepted and solid-lithium boards could thus be placed on public lighting poles. For this year, however, this exception was not made with regard to the limitation of advertising smog and possible damage to public lighting poles,” informs the press spokesperson.
For a better park!
The criticized slogan chosen for the billboard itself is supposed to refer to the future functioning of Radost Park. According to Michal Vronský, this is an important area of Prague 3 that currently serves its residents very little. “So the task is to find common ground with the owner and create a pleasant relaxing place where we will want to spend our free time and meet our neighbors. After all, this idea is also communicated by the slogan on the billboard,” adds the candidate for mayor of Prague 3.
Advertisement for the autumn council elections 2022 in Radost Park belonging to the political club TOP 09 and STAN.
Author: Jan Dařílek
Advertisement for the autumn council elections 2022 in Radost Park belonging to the political club TOP 09 and STAN.
Author: Jan Dařílek