Czech press survey - March 21

It is true that the real election results often differ from opinion polls. But in the case of the ODS, the results of the three latest elections, the regional, Senate and presidential ones, were much worse than any prognoses, Martinek recalls.

It is also apparent that no one in the ODS has a magic formula how to thwart or at least slow down the decline in preferences, Martinek says.

Paradoxically enough, the ODS´s main rival, the Social Democrats (CSSD), might help it if the ODS were able to politically profit, for instance, from the controversial statements by CSSD shadow finance minister Jan Mladek, who called the self-employed "parasites," Martinek says.

One or two election terms in opposition will definitely benefit the ODS and it seams that some of its officials are looking forward to it. However, the ODS´s strategy in the following months will decide whether the ODS will play a role of a strong or marginal opposition, Martinek writes.

Opposition Czech Social Democrats (CSSD) shadow finance minister Jan Mladek faces a punishment for the worst crime a politician can commit ahead of elections - sincerity, Petr Honzejk writes in Hospodarske noviny (HN) today.

His calling the self-employed parasites reveals that the CSSD has not abandoned the mentality of "class hatred," while his words that people should not take old-age pension for more than five years openly show that not even the Social Democrats (CSSD) believe the fairy-tales about painless population ageing, Honzejk says,

He adds that Mladek has thereby thrown a bomb into the CSSD electorate.

However, the CSSD cannot get rid of him so easily since it has no other expert in public finance.

He may play the role of "a bad man" in the party uttering incorrect statements that the CSSD chairman cannot say. However, he should soften his rhetoric and let the party control him a bit, Honzejk adds.

If not, the CSSD must buy him a trip to a remote land without a phone connection, otherwise his flippancy may considerably harm the party´s results in the mid-2014 general election, Honzejk writes in conclusion.

The Czech film-makers´ arguments that film deserves state support are slightly demagogical, Martin Weiss indicates in Lidove noviny (LN) today.

He comments on the fact that the Czech government will earmark a record high sum of 0.5 billion crowns for film incentives this year.

State support for film production regardless of its national origin is a result of common lobbying for a certain sector. It is forbidden in any other field but film, Weiss notes.

Many countries apply incentives so Czechs should do the same not to disadvantage its film production. Other arguments are pure demagogy that any others sector could use, Weiss says.

Not even the argument that the support will return to the state in the form of higher tax incomes matters since any other profitable economic activity would bring them without subsidies, Weiss concludes.

Author: ČTK
www.ctk.cz