Prague 8 has enormous potential. It has strong neighbourhoods, active residents, important public spaces, schools, parks, transport hubs and places that could change significantly in the coming years.
But potential on its own is not enough.
In recent years it has become clear far too often that many things which directly affect people's everyday lives are dealt with slowly or not at all. Transport. Public space. Nurseries. Communication with the town hall. Large development projects. The ordinary upkeep of the district.
Many residents have a justified feeling that their needs are not being heard and that decision-making at the town hall is too far removed from the reality of life in individual neighbourhoods.
That is exactly what the new episode of the 8žije podcast is about.
When the coalition delivers no results, the opposition has to be heard
Václav Stránský's guests were Vladislava Vojtíšková from the 8žije a Praha sobě council group, Karolína Gattermayerová for the Prague 8 Pirates and the chair of the Pirates' council group, Martin Štěrba.
The topic was cooperation between opposition groups at local level. Specifically in Prague 8, where 8žije and the Pirates have decided to act together against the current coalition, which in our view has so far failed to deliver results that match the district's needs.
That does not mean being 'against everything'. An opposition like that would help no one.
The point is something else: to name problems, offer solutions, scrutinise the town hall leadership and strengthen the voice of residents who want Prague 8 finally to start moving.
Cooperation cannot be taken for granted
Cooperation in opposition is not simple. Each group has its own priorities, its own voters, its own way of working and its own view on some issues.
Even so, there are situations where it is necessary to pull together. Not in order to sweep the differences under the carpet. But because without a joint approach it is often impossible to push any change through the council.
In the podcast we therefore talk openly about where the cooperation works, where it runs into limits and how compromises are found. What matters is that no one has to lose their own identity — and at the same time that opposition work is not so fragmented that people see no concrete result from it.
The opposition should scrutinise, but also bring solutions
A good opposition should not only criticise. It should watch whether the town hall is doing its job well, whether it manages money responsibly and whether it is forgetting the problems people deal with every day.
At the same time, it has to be able to say what it would do differently.
In Prague 8 this covers a whole range of areas: safer traffic, the availability of nursery places, the development of public space, care for green space, working with residents' suggestions and making the town hall's decisions easier to understand.
If problems are merely named and nothing else happens, people lose trust. But if scrutiny, concrete proposals and pressure for results come together, even the opposition can move the district forward.
Prague 8 must not lose influence at City Hall
In the episode we also touch on the relationship between Prague 8 and Prague City Hall.
The district is not an island. Many important things are decided or funded at city level: major transport schemes, development areas, school infrastructure, public space or investments that go beyond what the district itself can manage.
That is why it is important for Prague 8 to have a strong and active voice at City Hall.
If the mayor does not attend meetings of the Prague city assembly, Prague 8 loses the chance to influence decisions that directly concern it. It may also lose opportunities for better coordination and funding of the district's development.
For residents this is not an abstract political matter. It affects specific projects, deadlines, money and results.
The aim is to bring accountability back into politics
The joint approach of 8žije and the Pirates is not meant to be a political game. It should help simplify the debate, increase pressure on the town hall and bring accountability back into politics in Prague 8.
People do not need more layers of excuses. They need to know who is responsible for what, what is really happening, why things are being delayed and when they can expect a result.
This applies to the big issues as well as to seemingly smaller problems in individual neighbourhoods. That is where it shows most clearly whether a district works.
Who this episode is for
This episode is not just for people who follow local politics in detail.
It is for everyone who cares about what life in Prague 8 is like. For parents dealing with nurseries and schools. For people who want safer streets. For residents who feel that their suggestions end up unanswered. For everyone who wants a town hall that knows what it is doing and can see things through.
Local politics is not distant. It is the pavement in front of your house, a place at a nursery, a crossing over a busy street, the state of a park, a reply to an email or the decision whether the district takes an active interest in the future of its neighbourhoods.
Conclusion
Cooperation in opposition is not an end in itself. It is a tool for strengthening the voice of those in Prague 8 who want change, accountability and concrete results.
Prague 8 should not stagnate. It should be a district that can listen to people, cooperate where it makes sense and finally move important things forward.
Listen to the whole episode of the 8žije podcast on YouTube and podcast platforms.