Prague - Rigged elections in Russia, witless Polish diplomats, PR industry's product as a favorite in US presidential polls.
The Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek's statements on foreign affairs produced last week were marked by unprecedented honesty and openness. Some would even call them blunt. Few Czech PMs have ever spoken so frankly.
Mirek Topolánek wears his heart on his sleeve - the fact long known in the Czech Republic.
Read more:
Nationalists sue PM for calling Czechs sh*t scared
Czech PM calls journalists insane, corrupt and biased
But the same can be rather confusing to politicians abroad. Is it a citizen Mirek Topolánek speaking, or is it an official statement made by the Czech PM?
Czech diplomats consider his remarks problematic, but try not to comment on them publicly in order not to create further confusion.
PM's remarks
Interview in MF Dnes daily
- Obama is a typical marketed product, a person whose opinions are practically unknown. He has been in the Senate for a short time, while McCain is a Vietnam veteran that can become a bridge between Republicans and Democrats. He has enormous experience.
Interview in the Czech TV
- Poles shouldn't be linking modernization of their army to US interceptor base to be placed on their soil. They know very well their bargaining position is questionable. However, I believe they will reach an agreement with the Americans in the end.
Official press release
- I regret to say the decisive victory of D. A. Medvedev (in Russian presidential elections) wasn't free of oppositional candidates complaining about rigged results and unfair electoral campaign.
Even though neither Russians nor Poles or Americans are probably going to react to the Czech PM's statements, they can create some complications in the future.
Basking in the glory after the US trip
Controversial statements came from Topolánek's mouth after he met with the US president George W. Bush in the Oval office of the White House one week ago.
During his stay in the USA, Topolánek has signed a treaty on lifting the visa requirements for Czech citizens visiting United States and has nearly completed a treaty on hosting a US radar base in the Czech Republic.
Read more:
Czech PM: US radar on our soil three words away
Czech MP polls Russians on US anti-missile shield
In addition, he has successfully defended fruits of his visit against the European Commission who initially threatened to take steps against Czechs for breaching the previous US-EU visa agreement.
Topolánek is not consulting his statements in advance with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. His visit in the USA was prepared by the Deputy PM and former ambassador to the US Alexandr Vondra.
He also consults his plans with his secretary for foreign affairs Adéla Kadlecová who worked as an assistant of the Member of the European Parliament Jan Zahradil once.
Czech-Polish partnership evaporating?
Statements aimed at Russian and US politics do not neccesarily have to have consequences. Topolánek is not planning to cooperate with the Russians and it is quite plausible that his favorite McCain will really become the president in November.
However, his comments on the US anti-missile shield negotiations have already put a strain on the Czech-Polish relations. The Czech PM's conviction that the Polish attitude towards the issue is questionable and their demands unrealistic has been widely publicized by Polish media.
The head of the opposition Jaroslaw Kaczyński has attacked the Polish PM Donald Tusk with an accusation that his government is needlessly prolonging the negotiations with the Americans and is losing the confidence of the Czech Republic, so far considered a straightforward ally of Poland.
Donald Tusk must logically come to conclusion that Topolánek is undermining his position in domestic politics.
