Petr Macinka

Petr Macinka (born 18 August 1978) is a Czech politician, commentator and former presidential spokesperson. He has been the leader of the Czech political party Motorists for Themselves since 2022. A long-time collaborator of former Czech President Václav Klaus, he previously served as a spokesman at the Václav Klaus Institute and as deputy director of the Presidential Press Department. Under his leadership, Motorists for Themselves has been described as a right-wing to far-right^[1] populist party.

Petr Macinka
Petr Macinka in 2011
Leader of Motoristé sobě
Incumbent
Assumed office May 2022
Preceded by	Party established
Personal details
Born	(1978-08-18) 18 August 1978 (age 47) Břeclav, Czechoslovakia
Political party	Motorists for Themselves
Occupation	Politician

In the 2025 Czech parliamentary election he was elected as an MP for Motorists for Themselves.

Early life and career

Macinka was born in Břeclav in 1978.^[2] He studied political science and international relations at the private CEVRO Institute, obtaining a master's degree in 2013.^[3] From 2008 to 2013, he worked as deputy director of the press department in the Office of the President under Václav Klaus.^[4] After Klaus's presidency ended, Macinka remained in his circle and became a public spokesperson for the Václav Klaus Institute, where he advocated for Euroscepticism, opposition to environmental regulation, and traditional conservative values.^{[citation needed]}

Political career

In 2022, Macinka took over dormant minor party and rebranded it as Motoristé sobě. The party first ran in the 2022 Prague municipal elections on a platform opposing bicycle lanes and promoting free public transport for motorists. Although it failed to pass the electoral threshold in Prague, it gained media attention for its anti-green and populist rhetoric.^[5]

In 2024, Macinka led the party into a coalition with Přísaha for the 2024 European Parliament election. The coalition won 10.26% of the vote and gained one seat for Motoristé sobě. Following the election, the party grew in national profile. At its first congress in late 2024, Macinka was re-elected leader, and Filip Turek was appointed honorary president.^[6]

Macinka has declared that the party aims to overtake the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) and enter the national parliament in the 2025 elections. He has expressed openness to forming a coalition with ANO, while rejecting any cooperation with left-wing parties.^[7]

In the 2025 Czech parliamentary election, Motorists for Themselves were elected to the parliament with 6.8% of the vote. Macinka, who had stood as the party leader for the South Moravian Region, was among the MPs elected.^[8][9]

Views

Motoristé sobě has faced criticism over alleged ties to far-right figures and rhetoric.^[10] In 2024, Filip Turek, the party's top European election candidate, was photographed wearing a helmet with neo-Nazi symbolism and appeared to give a Nazi salute. Macinka defended Turek, calling the criticism a "pseudo-problem" and part of a political smear campaign.^[6]

In 2025 Macinka expressed that he was opposed to a referendum on Czech withdrawal from the European Union.^[11] He also opposes adoption of the Euro, same-sex marriage, progressive taxation, and the EU's 2035 phase-out of fossil fuel vehicles, which he called "industrial self-destruction".^[12]