Brussels, 17/02/2009 (Agence Europe) - Leader of the Czech Social Democrat Party (CSSD) Jiri Paroubek used his party's congress in Prague last weekend to launch his European campaign and present his candidates. The former Czech prime minister said he was sure his party would convince the electorate that “the European Union and its various bodies are also the place where part of the future will be decided”. Paroubek, considered to be the leader of the Opposition, has called for the election to be a “referendum against the current government”. Although the CSSD has, since 2004, had only 2 MEPs out of the 24 representing the Czech Republic, the opinion polls have it at least 10 points ahead of Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek's Civic Democratic Party (ODS).
The ODS would appear to be more and more divided since the official creation, last weekend, of the Free Citizens Party (SSO), a new right-wing party led by 34 year-old economist Petr Mach, a close ally of Czech President Vaclav Klaus (who founded the ODS, and left it in December). The SSO, adopting the position of the Czech head of state, has categorically ruled out the Lisbon Treaty and announced that it would put forward its own candidates at the European elections. According to Mach, “5%, which will mean one MEP, would be a success”. The young economist announced that he had already entered into negotiations on a possible rapprochement with current MEP Vladimir Zelezny (ID). Zelezny, former controversial head of the largest private television channel, only last month founded Libertas.cz, a kind of Czech branch of the Libertas party of Irish Eurosceptic Declan Ganley.
The European elections are scheduled to take place in the Czech Republic on 5-6 March, and will, this time, see 22 MEPs elected. (P.B./transl.rt)