The Prague Post Online: Opinion: A need for a real campaign and election

October 11th, 2008

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A need for a real campaign and election

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February 6th, 2008 issue

For a variety of reasons, this newspaper does not make political endorsements. Even if we did, it would be an empty gesture in this week’s presidential election, which will be decided in Parliament and not by a direct vote of the Czech citizenry. Still, there are some observations worth making.

The first is the dramatic contrast offered by Václav Klaus and Jan Švejnar, and not simply by virtue of Švejnar’s dual citizenship. As political analyst Jiří Pehe notes (see Analysis, page A1), the two men represent diametrically different political philosophies. Klaus is an avowed nationalist who remains rooted in the past, railing against anything (including the European Union) that he perceives as a threat to Czech sovereignty. Švejnar is a forward-looking man of the world who talks of the need for the country to embrace its European alliances and open up to the larger trends sweeping the globe.

It’s a shame that these two viewpoints didn’t get more of a public airing. The single debate held Jan. 29 was no substitute for a real campaign in which ideas are discussed and candidates are forced to articulate and defend their positions. Švejnar deserves credit for running at least a semblance of a campaign, while Klaus adopted what in the United States is known as a “rose garden” strategy — that is, sitting secure in the White House (or in this case, the palace) and deigning to engage with one’s political opponents.

Since the real campaign in this election is about lobbying members of Parliament, it’s hard to argue with that as a political strategy. But it ill-serves the people of the Czech Republic, who deserve a public discussion about the future direction of their country.

In our view, Klaus panders to Czechs’ worst instincts when he preys on their fears of foreign people and influences, and attacks straw men like environmentalists concerned about global warming. One may or may not think that Švejnar — in many respects a foreigner himself — offers clearer thinking and a better road ahead than Klaus. But, either way, their competing ideas and approaches should get a full airing in the court of public opinion.

And the electoral process certainly needs reconsideration. While a direct election is no guarantee of happy results — witness the Hamas victory in the 2006 Palestinian elections, or even the contested outcome of the 2000 U.S. presidential election — the current system seems more and more like an anachronistic holdover from the communist era. Talk of bribes, threats and backroom deals may be just talk, but it taints a process that should be open and transparent. With MPs likely to vote by secret ballot, the election seems even more removed from true participatory democracy.

Klaus is the likely winner in that scenario, and there is widespread feeling that, even if the election were held by popular vote, Klaus would still emerge victorious. But at least the people would have spoken. This way, the only people speaking are privileged members of society for whom business as usual usually means ignoring their constituents.

Švejnar’s wife, Katherine Terrell, told an American interviewer that, while she doesn’t expect her husband to win, she believes his campaign will have opened the door to new ideas. No matter who wins, we hope she’s right.

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