After comprehensive negotiations with president Václav Klaus and other leading Czech eurosceptics, Ganley's attempts to bring about a Czech branch of Libertas.eu remained unsuccessful. The newly founded Party of Free Citizens, which was endorsed by Klaus, unexpectedly refused to cooperate with Ganley's pan-European alliance, leaving the name Libertas unclaimed in the Czech Republic.
This enabled the former media mogul Vladimír Železný, a eurosceptic Member of the European Parliament[4] to register a party under exactly the designated name by January 21, 2009.[2] It remained unclear whether the registration had been accomplished in some way on behalf of the European Libertas.eu[2] or without any consent.[1]
Supporters of Železný's Libertas.cz included Jana Bobošíková[5] and Vlastimil Tlustý but not Declan Ganley and his followers, who promptly disavowed the party.[6][7] However, after Václav Klaus intervened,[8] two MPs, Vlastimil Tlustý and Jan Schwippel, changed sides, leaving ODS and joining Železný's Libertas.cz.[9][10] This led the European Libertas.eu to a volte-face, now claiming Železný's Libertas.cz an affiliate.[11]
The list contained the nineteen candidates from Železný's other party (Nezávislí demokraté), six independents (including Jan Schwippel, now disavowed ODS), one ODS (Vlastimil Tlustý), and three other candidates.
Member parties are members of Libertas.eu. Members of member parties are automatically members of Libertas.eu unless they choose otherwise.
2
Affiliated parties are not members of Libertas.eu but are otherwise associated. Members of affiliated parties are not members of Libertas.eu unless they choose to join as individuals.
3
Parties presenting as Libertas.eu affiliates/members but not sanctioned by Libertas.eu when presentation commenced.
