Prague, Dec 1 (CTK) – The fight against terrorism and dealing with the migrant crisis have made Interior Minister Milan Chovanec, 45, one of the most popular Czech politicians and this ambitious man is mentioned as a possible future prime minister, the weekly Respekt writes in its latest issue.
Originally, the Social Democrat (CSSD) governor of the Plzen Region was to become transport minister. Shortly after the 2013 general election that his party won, Chovanec was one of five prominent CSSD politicians who, in cooperation with President Milos Zeman, tried to oust party leader Bohuslav Sobotka, now 44. But Chovanec left the putschists soon enough, he repented and the future prime minister Sobotka rewarded him by giving him a more prestigious post, that of interior minister, Respekt writes.
When Sobotka´s government was appointed in January 2014, nobody could have expected the Interior Ministry to become such an important factor in foreign policy, Respekt writes.
Several weeks after he was made minister, Chovanec had to undergo plastic surgery of his stomach after radically slimming down, from 180 to 115 kg within one year, and his health condition was very serious due to an infection, Respekt writes.
Chovanec is nevertheless a man of strong will: he managed to overcome his addiction to food, he lost weight dramatically and he survived his physical and political deaths, Respekt writes.
When the crowds of refugees started flowing to Europe and its interior ministers began to meet in Brussels frequently, Chovanec was often missing. He claimed then that the Czech interior minister´s tasks primarily concern the Czech Republic. In the government corridors one could hear a different reason for his absence from Brussels: his poor knowledge of foreign languages, Respekt writes.
Many crucial talks are held informally, during breaks before official meetings when no interpreters are available. Moreover, most of the emotions are let loose in such informal talks. As Chovanec did not have the chance to talk informally, he let his emotions loose within the official programme repeatedly. All this made him rather unpopular among his colleagues and mainly German politicians speak of him with disdain off the record, Respekt writes.
In the last few months, Chovanec started visiting Brussels regularly because of the escalating migrant crisis and he took an active part in the negotiations. At a recent meeting he made a speech calling for an improved sharing of data on terrorists, Respekt writes.
“The period that is coming seems to me to be similar to the era before the rise of Adolf Hitler… If an economic recession came, all Europe would be facing the populist brown movement,” Chovanec told Respekt about the threat of neo-Nazism.
Chovanec said his grandfather was a socialist resistance fighter who was caught and survived his stay in concentration camps. He said the grandfather´s story made him aware of the fact that free society was repeatedly facing pressures from various extremists.
Chovanec considers the migrant wave from Africa and the Middle East to be the present biggest threat, Respekt writes.
Germany, Sweden and other countries accepted hundreds of thousands of refugees and they call on other EU members to help them carry the burden, but Chovanec sharply rejected such solidarity. He also resolutely opposed the mandatory quotas for the redistribution of asylum seekers, Respekt writes.
Paradoxically, Chovanec´s critics label his opposition to the European solidarity related to migrants “brownish.”
Chovanec fears that society would be unable to absorb the high numbers of immigrants who would then get into the position of second-class citizens whose children would be a potential risk to society, Respekt writes.
Instead of solidarity, Chovanec offers repression: Czech police and troops help guard European borders to drive away the refugees, Respekt writes.
“If the Czech government decides to go pro-immigration, I´ll leave the ministry. I don´t want to do this,” Chovanec said.
He insists that extremists have little space in the Czech Republic because the government´s attitude towards migrants is probably stricter than in other countries, Respekt writes.
According to people close to Sobotka and Chovanec, the two politicians made a deal that the former would be the polite man and the latter would play the role of the party´s bad man who addresses people´s emotions and lower instincts so that extremists cannot win over the CSSD voters, Respekt says.
It writes that this path seems very risky as the CSSD line may radicalise and the CSSD may even legitimise extremist views.
Such a plan would have to be very well considered. When asked with whom he consulted his steps, Chovanec said he mostly wanted to have his own opinions and that he listened to his own heart, Respekt writes, adding that Chovanec does not regularly read any foreign press or magazine, which means that he mostly gets information about the outside world from his subordinates.
People close to the prime minister unofficially say Chovanec is making stronger anti-immigrant statements than was agreed on in order to win more popularity and be strong enough to replace Sobotka one day. “He scores many points like this and he is totally unaware of what reactions he causes in Western Europe,” an assistant to Sobotka told Respekt.
Chovanec dismisses this. He says he does not want to be the prime minister. “I am rather a practical man, I like to deal with practical things. I certainly don´t want to spend my life on trips abroad and international conferences, which the prime minister must do,” he told the weekly.
However, a change of mind would be no big surprise in Chovanec´s case, Respekt concludes.
