Prague, Feb 19 (CTK) – The Sunday election congress of the Czech Social Democrats (CSSD) did not fulfil the darkest fears and showed that the party was prepared to become neither a “subsidiary” of ANO chairman Andrej Babis nor a puppet of President Milos Zeman, Lukas Jelinek writes in Pravo on Monday.
Authentic leftist politics, a better communication in the party and improved visibility on the outside were among the themes discussed by the candidates for the CSSD chairman, of whom only two presented clear political visions: Jiri Zimola, a proponent of realistic, traditional politics, and Jan Jukl, wishing for an activistic CSSD open to new members, Pravo writes.
The election of Jan Hamacek is a bet on experience and certainty, although he himself did say he was prepared for a compromise with different opinion streams, Pravo writes.
While the participants were divided into those who were in favour of joining the government of the ANO movement and those who were opposing it, no one seemed overly enthusiastic about President Milos Zeman’s proposal for the CSSD suggesting that it exchanges its support for an ANO cabinet for deputy ministers posts only, not joining the cabinet directly, Pravo writes.
Although the party’s newly elected chairman is a politician relatively close to Zeman and inclined to negotiations with ANO head Andrej Babis, the CSSD wants to maintain its dignity and wants to make a mission to win voters.
Hence, despite the significance of the dilemma whether to join the ANO government or not, the CSSD sees building and reinforcing its identity among people as its more pertinent task, Pravo writes.
This is why the party’s new leadership is to stand the biggest test in the autumn, when the local election takes place, Jelinek concludes.
