Public is tolerant of PM's adultery

As if Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek didn't have enough to worry about, with waning support within his party and an upcoming vote of confidence that most expect him to lose. It now seems that his family life is in shambles, too.

His lover, fellow Civic Democratic Party (ODS) Deputy Lucie Talmanová, is expecting a baby, and Topolánek, the party's chairman, isn't denying that it might be his. In recent weeks, Topolánek publicly acknowledged that he is no longer living with his family.

Topolánek's wife, Pavla Topolánková, who insists that she might be able to forgive her husband, tried to take revenge on him last October when she ran in the Senate election against a candidate from Topolánek's party. She didn't win, but her candidacy served to attract even more attention to the prime minister's disintegrating marriage.

With not much happening in the country politically as Topolánek continues to struggle to cobble together a functioning government following seven months of postelection deadlock, the Topolánek-Topolánková-Talmanová love triangle offers something of a respite from all the dreary articles about party negotiations. Hardly a day goes by without Topolánek's affair being debated in the media, and Topolánková, who doesn't shy away from interviews, often uses the country's dailies as a mouthpiece through which to expound on her husband's shortcomings.

Fortunately for Topolánek, many Czechs don't seem to mind. Nine out of 15 people questioned on the street by The Prague Post said they don't care what Topolánek does with his private life.

"Czechs are very tolerant when it comes to their politicians' sex lives," says Radka Dudová, a sociologist at the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic. "Mostly, it probably has to do with the fact that we live in a very secular society."

Perhaps it's not surprising given that the Czech Republic has one of the highest divorce rates in Europe. Close to 50 percent of Czech marriages end in divorce, according to recent statistics from the European Union's Eurostat agency. About a third of children, moreover, are born out of wedlock. This may help explain why Talmanová's only public comment on her pregnancy was that having a baby should be an occasion to celebrate under any circumstance. In a similarly laissez-faire spirit, Topolánková wished Talmanová all the best and a healthy baby.

Cheating is only human, many Czechs seem to think. Those questioned who were outraged, however, generally had much more to say on the issue and in some cases launched into lengthy rants, some going as far as to compare Topolánek's affair to the Bill Clinton-Monica Lewinsky fiasco.

"All men cheat. Most of them get away with it because, unlike Topolánek, they don't live out their lives in public. There's nothing surprising about this affair — it's just more visible and all these journalists are trying to make money off it" Lydie Dvořáková, 50 interpreter
"I think it's shameful that someone who used his family to help promote himself during the election campaign and to create this wholesome image is cheating on his wife and hurting his family this way. He should resign. How can we trust any of his promises if he can't even be faithful to his wife?" Milada Paulfrancová, 55 administrative worker
"My reaction to all of this is mostly negative. I mean, come on: He's cheating on his wife. As a politician he should set an example. I think he'll probably step down in the end but only for political reasons because he promised he'd resign if he doesn't get any support for his government." Jan Zubr, 20, university student
"I think a politician should behave more correctly and bear the responsibility of leading a public life. Topolánek is representing a conservative party, after all, and he should behave accordingly. Top politicians shouldn't have such loose morals, and the public should demand more from them and not be so apathetic." Taťána Adamcová, 56, philosophy professor
"Topolánek is an asshole and Talmanová isn't any better. He should leave politics. He's only in it for the money, anyway." Ladislav Fizik, 55, vendor of Nový Prostor magazine
"I think it's fine. Who cares? Let's just let Topolánek live his life the way he wants to." Jiří Lukovský, 77, pensioner
"I think it's bad. A politician shouldn't cheat on his wife. Then again, it's his own business. The public should leave him alone. But he should definitely pay alimony to his wife and family." Šárka Valníčková, 16, conservatory student
"I think people should be left to do their own thing. Topolánek has a right to his privacy the same as everybody else does." Alexej Honetschalger, 53, surveyor

Other articles in News (17/01/2007):

• Energy boost
• Prague to get a Reagan memorial
• Academy theologian loses medal
• ODS and ČSSD broadcast canceled
• Seven Days
• Eurostat: Czechs lead Europe in divorces
• Early glitches for e-toll system
• Pastry earns EC protected status
• Fighting to provide a voice
• European Roundup

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