Czech press survey - January 22

However, the strength and appeal of Schwarzenberg's attitude lies in his condemning the expulsion of Sudeten Germans halfway through the election campaign, Leschtina writes.

Something quite exceptional has occurred in the Czech plebiscite. A candidate whose gaining the presidential post would be the apex of his life and professional career, has preferred to threaten his chances to dismissing his life-time principles, he adds.

This is perhaps the most substantial part of the campaign, perhaps more important than its eventual outcome, Leschtina writes.

By claiming again his attitude, Schwarzenberg may have closed his road to the presidential office. This can be judged by the "national political front" that was formed against him, he adds.

It is an incredible grouping, associating President Vaclav Klaus, mainstream Communists, extreme Communists, xenophobic circles and even the candidate of "civic society" Jan Fischer and Premysl Sobotka, candidate of the Civic Democratic Party (ODS), Leschtina writes.

Jan Fischer, the unsuccessful candidate from the first of the presidential election, may have decided its run-off when praising Zeman and criticising Schwarzenberg, Martin Zverina writes in Lidove noviny.

Given the number of the votes Fischer received in the first round, the support is tremendous, although it was voiced in Fischer's overly cautious style, Zverina writes.

One has to ask the question of whether Fischer changed his mind in his own right or whether this was done by those who "backed" his campaign from behind-the-scenes, he adds.

President Vaclav Klaus was wrong when claiming that not the general public, but the media will actually be voting in the direct presidential election, Martin Weiss writes in Lidove noviny.

This could be perhaps said a couple of months ago when the media was forced to pay the attention to the candidates who established themselves as favourites through the interplay of a number of factors, Weiss writes.

However, the first round ended in the way most of the media did not forecast, he adds, alluding to Schwarzenberg's unexpected second place behind Zeman.

Author: ČTK
www.ctk.cz