Cyrillic Partners

We usually don’t cover politics—though its bond to economics is undeniable.

The link between the two disciplines stands to be even more overt in the Czech Republic, which will vote on a new president this February. The incumbent, President Václav Klaus, is facing a real challenge this year from economics professor Jan Švejnar.

Švejnar currently serves as the chairman of CERGE-EI, the Czech Republic’s most prestigious economics institute and Volha’s alma mater. He is also the chairman of one of the country’s largest banks.

Martin Jan Stránský has an interesting post about the race. He writes that it may be time for change in his country and says the progressive Švejnar is the man to do it:

Švejnar is running on a platform of EU integration, economic reform and open dialogue.

Klaus is not running on a platform based on anything, but instead claims that we should all be “familiar with his positions” based on his “previous statements and actions.” 

Those statements consist of a mélange of vague populist jargon, such as “protecting our national interests” (without once stating what those are), strengthening national xenophobia by labeling the European Union a “threat” (without once stating just what type of threat), and on the international stage, making statements that openly decry global warming.

The post is worth reading in depth for its comparisons to other democratic races across the globe.

[Image from Lidovky]

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