MPs racist comment evokes widespread criticism

MP Michal Babák of the Public Affairs party has come under fire from all sides for making an anti-Semitic comment relating to Finance Minister Jan Fischer during a TV debate programme on Sunday. After prefacing his comments by saying they did not contain any racist allusions, Mr. Babák said that no Jew could be worse for the state coffers than Miroslav Kalousek, Mr. Fischer’s predecessor at the Ministry of Finance. The slur has evoked widespread condemnation from both right and left wing deputies in the lower house with calls for Mr. Babák to apologize. Katerina Klasnova, the head of Public Affairs deputies’ group in the lower house said on Monday that Michal Babák’s words were unfortunate.