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Opposition to the radar base is rooted in past

Public feels soldiers are soldiers, analyst says

May 30th, 2007 issue

According to opinion polls, some 60 percent of the public opposes the radar base, with many people citing the need not to ruffle Russian feathers. But why would Czechs, who suffered so long under Moscow’s yoke, now be afraid of upsetting Russia, particularly under the security blanket of NATO?

Analyst Jiří Pehe, a former adviser to former President Václav Havel, sees historical reasons behind such opinions. This country has “been occupied many times, and many people don’t distinguish between democratic and nondemocratic soldiers. There is … a belief that if we don’t meddle in anything, if we keep our hands off things, we will avoid the risk. Basically, people would like to be protected but avoid any risk involved.”
By contrast, in Poland, a vast majority supports the U.S. plan. Pehe said the difference in public opinion in the two countries also has historical roots. Poland, after all, borders Belarus and Russia, and fought a bloody war with Nazi Germany, while the Czechs put up little resistance.
“Poles support the plan because they … did not fight their last fight 300 years ago,” Pehe said.
But Pehe also said the government has failed to clearly explain the issue to the public. It shows “a rather arrogant approach” that won’t take European representatives into account during bilateral talks with the United States, he said.
Indeed, the Green Party, part of the ruling coalition, has come out in favor of the plan only as long as it is part of a NATO initiative and with a public referendum.
That position reflects that of Jiří Paroubek, leader of the Social Democrats (ČSSD) and former prime minister. Paroubek has been criticized for changing his position on the radar plan. As prime minister, he opened negotiations on the issue with the Americans. As opposition leader, he has come to oppose it.  
Asked about this change of heart, Paroubek told The Prague Post: “I represent the ČSSD, and my political decisions must be in harmony with the party’s platform.” He added that he would agree to the plan only if it were part of a NATO initiative.
Meanwhile, Havel, a key force behind the nation’s entry into NATO in 1999, has again thrown his weight behind Washington.
“In the 20th century, Europe couldn’t solve military conflicts on its own,” he said in February. “And not even today would Europe be able to face military threats without U.S. help.”
 
— Jana Donovan


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