Czech press survey - May 24

Evidently, Barta's club has lost the instinct of self-preservation if it ever had any, Komarek writes.

It would be useless to analyse the latest remarkable developments, if the remnants of Barta's club did not have a significant influence on the national politics, he adds.

Next month, the decision may be made on the return of property to churches. The votes of Barta's people may save or ditch the government in this case, Komarek writes.

As a result, Barta's price will rise accordingly and he may continue with his trading, he adds.

Czech society is full of anti-Romany feelings, this is quite obvious, Patrik Banga writes in Mlada fronta Dnes, analysing the case of a boy who claimed that he was brutally beaten up by three Romanies, but it has turned out that this was a lie.

There is the question of what is sufficient for 2,000 people to protest [against widespread Romany crime], Banga writes,

There is also the question of what is sufficient for the radical part of the demonstrators to go to Romany homes and shout "Gypsis into Gas," he adds.

In fact, one can hear the cries quite often, not only in Breclav, south Moravia, where the incident occurred, Banga writes.

The problem is that the media immediately denotes the perpetrator of a crime as a Romany, even if there is no evidence, he adds.

There is also the problem that no one stands up and says loudly that in this way, pogroms may soon occur, Banga writes.

The results of the media hysteria are quite obvious. If the media does not learn to work with information, further similar incidents are likely to occur, he adds.

The Social Democrats (CSSD) did not make a lucky choice when they selected Jiri Dienstbier as their presidential candidate, Josef Mlejnek writes in Lidove noviny.

In the voters' eyes, Dienstbier will be certainly disadvantaged by his political youth. In fact, he has not achieved many things in politics, Mlejnek writes.

Besides, voters will insist on the view, given by a long tradition, that the presidential office should be assumed by outstanding personalities or politicians at the close of their careers, he adds.

The voters are also of the view that the post of president should not serve as a launching pad for a political career, Mlejnek writes.

Centrist voters will prefer Jan Fischer or Jan Svejnar, while leftist voters will prefer Milos Zeman, he adds.

As a result, Instead of a serving as a launching pad, the presidential candidature may doom Dienstbier's career, Mlejnek writes.

Author: ČTK
www.ctk.cz