Former Czech PM Fischer upset by words on homosexuals, Bátora

Prague, Aug 28 (CTK) - Former Czech prime minister Jan Fischer was very upset by some officials' critical statements on the homosexual march in Prague, not only words by Ladislav Batora, but also people around President Vaclav Klaus and Klaus himself, Fisher told the latest issue of the Euro weekly.

Statements by a respected authority can be like "striking a match," said Fischer, who headed the caretaker government in 2009−2010.

Presidential Office deputy head Petr Hajek called the Prague Pride homosexual march held in mid-August "a pressure action and a political demonstration of a world with deformed values" and he called homosexuals "deviant fellow citizens." Hajek also sharply criticised the Prague mayor for having officially supported the planned homosexual event.

Klaus shared Hajek's criticism.

Fischer also told Euro that if he were in the position of Prime Minister Petr Necas (Civic Democrats, ODS), he would take stronger steps in the case of Batora, Education Ministry's personnel section head, over his extremist and intolerant words.

Batora, chairman of the D.O.S.T. conservative group, was running for the the extremist National Party (NS) in the election to the Chamber of Deputies in the past.

Batora also criticised the march of sexual minorities and U.S. ambassador to the Czech Republic Norman Eisen who together with other countries' supported the event.

TOP 09 demands Batora's dismissal over his links to the ultra-right scene and his offensive remarks on TOP 09 chairman and Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg. Education Minister Josef Dobes (VV) apologised for Batora's words but he refused to sack him.

In reaction to it, the TOP 09 ministers decided not to attend the government meetings.

The ODS has called on its coalition partners, the VV and TOP 09, not to gamble with the Batora case.

"An apology is not enough in this case for a number of reasons. I can understand that the prime minister cannot dismiss Batora, but the minister (Dobes) is in his 'jurisdiction'. The prime minister can tell the minister: If you do not take the step, we will be discussing your continuation in the post. I would do it in this case," Fischer told Euro.

Fischer said some of Batora's statements were roughly fascistic.

"If they are uttered by a high-ranking civil servant, which is the case of Ladislav Batora, it is alarming. And if he is politically protected by his superior, it is even more alarming," Fischer said.

"I was horrified when Minister Dobes said before the Prague Pride march he would not dismiss Batora because he is a dutiful patriot and a Catholic," Fischer added.

He recalled that "dutiful patriots" had killed several million people in the 20th century.