New head of state won his seat by pushing hard for so far neglected hot spot of Czech society – nationalism and frustration of lower income brackets.
His opponent in the second round of the Czech first direct election for the highest representative position, right-winged conservative and current foreign minister Karel Schwarzenberg failed to escape his Czech language pronounciation issues and his own misty TV debate declaration on Beneš Decres, a controversial post-WWII legislation dealing with German population in border parts of the country.
Miloš Zeman called for negative campaign, stereotypically describing minister Schwarzenberg as a friend of Sudeten Germans who doubts safety of Czech estates in border parts of the state – (Sudets) which has always voted for non-governmental candidates. These appeals on fear and stereotypization won Zeman the seat by a difference of half million voters. Elected by majority of 54% voters, the former leftist prime minister have already announced that he will use his direct mandate to put pressure on current highly unpopular right-wing government.
Miloš Zeman is a firm believer advocating for the national interests and values which he embodies in talking as a pro-israeli neocon advocating bombing of Iran nuclear capabilities and defender who thinks that EU and Russia should associate in future fight against threat of radical political Islam.
Opposing his predecessor – europhobic Václav Klaus, the former social democrat admiring Scandinavian economic models calls himself a eurofederalist. His vision of European integration contains sovereign states sharing security and foreign policy, nevertheless fiscal and debt-related issues shall not be shared. As he is in favor of the Czech Republic adopting Euro in 2017, noisy opposition to fiscal rescue transfers to the southern member states is to be expected.
In the next five years, Czech Republic will have a president who can be expected to openly and straightforwardly critize his oponents home and abroad. Zeman’s international policy pillars are expected to be EU fiscal issues, danger of radical Islam in Europe and pro-Russian trade orientation of the state
