President's son mocks Schwarzenberg

The son of President Václav Klaus has angered students and parents after mocking his father's political rival Karel Schwarzenberg in official correspondence at the private school where he works as headmaster.

Václav Klaus Jr., who heads the PORG Gymnasium in Prague, ridiculed the foreign affairs minister's recent vocal rendition of the national anthem, which he sang after his first-round success in the country's first direct presidential elections.

The headmaster's writing, which was titled "ktéé tomof muj, ktéé tomof muj," parodied the aristocratic candidate's pronunciation of the official hymn "Kde domov můj?" (Where Is My Home?).

Schwarzenberg, 75, whose family fled Czechoslovakia after the communist coup in 1948, is regularly lampooned for his accent and often archaic use of the Czech language. 

Dozens of outraged students and parents at the secondary school signed a petition protesting their headmaster's actions, although some of those who appear on the letter have reportedly said they did not give their permission to do so.

"Given the fact that you are not acting as a private person, but as the director of PORG, you represent current employees, students, alumni and their parents. In such a situation, it is not in your position to clearly and unambiguously present the values that you hold yourself as a private person. Your conduct is considered offensive, and we are fundamentally opposed," the petition reads.

On his personal blog, Klaus Jr. admitted it was a mistake to reveal his views in the official school correspondence "because it does not belong in the school's (totally apolitical) correspondence."

While he said he couldn't "sing much better," Klaus Jr. also took the opportunity to defend his controversial comments.

"I find it incredible when a candidate for president does not know the words of the Czech national anthem," he wrote.

In his outburst, the president's son also attacked Schwarzenberg's father, implying that Prince Karel VI of Schwarzenberg was a Nazi collaborator.

"His father was one of the members of the First Republic Vlajka ['Flag']," Klaus Jr. wrote, referring to an extremely anti-Jewish, anti-Masaryk and xenophobic organization.

He also implied Schwarzenberg's father traveled to Berlin with a delegation in January 1939 to meet Joseph Göbbels to negotiate the creation of a transport and monetary union with Germany.

Historians have rejected this account and say Prince Karel VI was in fact a Czech patriot who worked against the Nazis.

"There are lots of other historians and people who lived at that time and so on who will in turn tell you something else," Klaus Jr. wrote.

A staff member at the school has admitted to leaking the e-mail to the media.

Andrew Greene can be reached at
agreene@praguepost.com