LN: Return of 'political corpses', like Zeman, not unusual

Prague, Jan 30 (CTK) - The returns of "political corpses" is nothing unusual either at home or abroad, Petr Zidek writes in daily Lidove noviny (LN) yesterday in relation to the victory of former socialist prime minister Milos Zeman in the Czech presidential election last weekend.

Zeman, 68, Social Democrat (CSSD) leader in 1993-2001 and prime minister in 1998-2002, retired from politics in 2003 after the CSSD did not fully support his presidential candidature.

Last summer, few would expect Zeman to succeed in the direct presidential polls. Those who bet on his victory seven months ago have gained a lot of money - twenty times more than they have wagered, Zidek recalls.

General Ludvik Svoboda, Czechoslovak defence minister from 1945 to 1950, was also a political corpse in 1968, yet he was appointed president then, Zidek writes.

He says Tomas Garrigue Masaryk was not a political corpse in 1914, but few would have expected him to start a significant political career. World War One turned this marginal politician into an undoubtable authority, Zidek writes about the man who strongly contributed to the foundation of the independent Czechoslovakia and was its first president.

Zeman's comeback seems similar to that of Winston Churchill, Zidek says.

The words "hard-drinking, chain-smoking politician, known for his witty put-downs of his political opponents" that the BBC used about Zeman before the first round of the direct presidential election would have fitted Churchill, too, Zidek writes.

"Islam terrorism is the biggest threat of the 21st century and a strong armed power is the only shield against this threat," Zidek quotes Zeman as saying in 2012.

If one replaced "Islam terrorism" with "Nazism" and "21st century" with "20th century", the statement might have been made by Churchill, Zidek writes.

A part of Czech population, especially those who voted for Zeman's rival Karel Schwarzenberg in the election runoff, feel outrage that the newly elected head of state uses vulgar language, tries to appeal to the popular taste and has no elegance, Zidek writes.

A public vote tends to produce a candidate who is similar to the common people, he says.

Would anybody expect Vaclav Havel to win a direct presidential election? Zidek asks.

Maybe in 1990, shortly after the fall of the Czechoslovak communist regime, but later on he would have hardly won - not if he was not supported by most of the relevant political forces in the country, Zidek writes.

Extraordinary and excellent personalities usually get in power at times of war or revolution. From this point of view, Zeman's election triumph is good news showing that the Czech Republic is a standard democracy facing no major threat, Zidek indicates.

Those who cannot accept that Zeman won the election also thanks to a campaign full of lies should realise that there are even worse methods, Zidek writes.

Charles de Gaulle returned to the post of French prime minister after 12 years thanks to his skillful manipulation with a military coup in the then French Algeria, Zidek says.

Does anybody mind it now? he asks.

In politics, it is really true that the end justifies the means. If people want to condemn Zeman, they should wait for him to show what end he is going to reach, Zidek writes.