Despite his
vow to uplift Czech political life, new president Milos Zeman made no excuses
for his 'tired and emotional' appearance at a highly symbolic state event. His
call for closer ties with Russia have raised further concerns in a traditionally
anti-Russian society.
Milos Zeman, the new president of the Czech Republic, has clearly distanced himself from the Eurosceptic views of his predecessor. Yet, a recent standoff with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shows unexpected tension over foreign policy might be just around the corner.
While clientelism,
corruption and nepotism are still an ailing element of post-communist political
reality in the Czech Republic, a new civic initiative seeks to
bring more transparency and accountability to the Czech
state. Can it succeed?
This
Saturday's election saw the victory of former PM Milos Zeman over current
Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg. The duel between a decried populist and an
old-school aristocrat revealed a division previously unseen in modern Czech
society.
The
upgrade of Temelin, a nuclear power station, has become the backdrop of a power
struggle between the Unites States and Russia. Worryingly, a discussion on
Czech energy policy is being silenced by the competition of foreign strategic
interests.
For
the first time in their history, Czech citizens will directly elect their
president next year, to replace the notoriously Eurosceptic incumbent Vaclav
Klaus. The stakes are high in this election, for it will be a large-scale
stress test for Czech democracy and European integration in Central Europe.