Euroskeptic Zeman leads in Czech polls amid anti-Russian hysteria about 'Russian meddling'

Free West Media
Thu, 11 Jan 2018 16:50 UTC

Czechs will head to the polls on Friday to vote for a new president, with incumbent Milos Zeman facing allegations of Russian involvement.

The election could become bogged down in shrill allegations of Russian meddling, because Zeman is currently the favourite to win out of the nine candidates standing.

The popular candidate had previously served as prime minister from 1998 to 2002 and is seen as Russia's favourite candidate.

The Czech politician, 73, has met frequently with Vladimir Putin. Russia meanwhile is constantly being accused of meddling in the 2016 US presidential election and the European Union referendum.

The Eurosceptic Zeman has criticised Muslim immigration and supported the lifting of sanctions against Moscow while calling for the recognition of Crimea.

Polls show that Zeman has a 47.6 percent lead. According to kdovyhrajevolby.cz website which combines polls with bookmakers' odds, his most serious challenger Jiri Drahos, former head of the Czech Academy of Sciences, is trailing with 44.9 percent.

Czech-based pro-Europe think tank European Values, maintain that the Czech Republic's presidential election is thought to be one of the Kremlin's most important "targets".

The report predicts the Czech Republic to be the "most intense battleground for Russian meddling efforts, especially during the presidential election".

It adds: "Kremlin-inspired Czech disinformation efforts are almost completely united behind president Zeman and will probably play the role of creator and offer a platform to massive disinformation and smear campaigns against Zeman's challengers."

But Sean Hanley, a senior lecturer at UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies, said many Czechs share Zeman's friendly attitude towards Russia.

Many have felt that the Czech Republic's membership of the EU has not lived up to its promises, he said. "There's a scepticism towards the EU and further integration," Hanley told The Express, a British daily.

"It's rooted in the fact that the EU was presented as an end point for economic prosperity and catching up with the West, which hasn't worked out for everyone.

"Czech attitudes to Russia are very pragmatic... Their political stances are rooted in pragmatism and where their national interests lie."

Comment: If a candidate is pro-Russian in any way, he or she must be a Russian agent. There is no other explanation. If voters agree with the Russian point of view on any topic, they must be victims of Russian propaganda. There is no other explanation. If a "pro-Russian" candidate wins an election, it must have been as a result of Russian meddling. There is no other explanation. These are the key tenets of Russian meddling.

Western opinion makers have set up the perfect system. They lie, make sure only lies get any air time, then slam anyone who points out the lie or tells the truth as a Russian tool, simply because Russian sources also point out the lie or tell the truth. Since the truth is not available from Western sources, the source of such insidious truth must come from Russia. And that's bad. Even though it's the truth. Doesn't make sense? Maybe you're a victim of Russian mind control.