Do future Czech MEPs need good language skills?
In a month's time Czechs will go to the polls to elect their first ever European MPs. The election campaign is in full swing and the parties are trying to appeal to voters in various ways. One of the parties has put up billboards mocking the poor ability of the ruling Social Democrats to communicate in foreign languages in EU institutions. They are hinting at the scandal that was caused by the sudden resignation of the government's original candidate for EU commissioner Milos Kuzvart. Rumour had it that it was his poor knowledge of English that made him step down.
Jan Kasl, the head of the European Democrats, whose election billboards stress the importance of good communication skills.
With the European Parliament election approaching, Czech Television and Radio Prague recently carried out their own little survey in the Czech Parliament: asking foreign journalists based in Prague to help them test the language skills of future Czech Euro-MPs.
"I... err... I may that Czech people are prepared... but not so big..."
...a government deputy, high up on the European Parliament candidate list trying to explain to Czech TV in broken English why he thinks Czech people are suspicious of the EU - a question put to him by the Prague-based American journalist Dinah Spritzer.
Many European Parliament candidates passed the brief test with flying colours - and smiles on their faces. But some just weren't in the right mood.
"I am not in the basic school, and you are asking me like I am in the basic school! You are not my teacher...!"
"I think they should have been better prepared to receive that question because it is probably a good question. However, I've heard various comments from people from Western countries who say their politicians would never put up with that kind of treatment from journalists. They would just say, get out of my face. One British journalist said to me he doesn't why Czech politicians are constantly answering quizzes by Czech journalists. Because many of the quizzes make them look very dumb. So why answer them. I mean there is such a thing as having good public relations or a good spin. So I think that's rather undeveloped here."
Many of those who declined to speak to the foreign journalists argued that as of May 1st Czech is one of the EU's official languages. Jan Kasl, the head of the European Democrats.
"I can imagine that MEPs will speak their native language because of - I don't want to say protocol but maybe because of national pride or any other reason. They have the right to speak in Czech, but... To propose something which will go through, you have to talk to other MEPs, not through an interpreter but directly."
The Deputy Foreign Minister for European Affairs and the Czech Republic's future ambassador to Brussels, Jan Kohout, fully agrees.
"I have to say that for the official meetings there will be translation into the Czech language. The problem is with the working parties and of course it would be a great advantage to know fluently the English, German or French language. Otherwise, of course, I have to agree that it would be a disadvantage for them. Because all the EU business is about contacts, about knowing people, about communication and the language is a tool to approach the others and to really try to find some common issue."
"I think the experience was surprising because so many Czechs feel this is really important that their MEPs have language skills and at first I was really cynical because I thought, well, they will have translators when they become MEPs. But it's really not the case; you really do need to have language skills for corridor talk and small break-out meetings and I think I've become more understanding of why this is so important to Czech people."
As a party which stresses the importance of language skills in EU institutions and whose top candidates speak at least one foreign language, Jan Kasl says the European Democrats hope Czech voters will take that into account before they cast their ballots.
"In politics, in general, the better you communicate, the closer contact you can create, the better understanding you can reach and a better relation you have, the better success you will reach in terms of political understanding. Having at least one language is a crucial condition, basic condition for politicians to be successful in the parliament. So I believe that Czechs will somehow take into consideration that the language ability or communication ability is important."
In the improvised language test some Czech MPs and future MEPs proved they can make themselves understood, some gave it a try with more or less success and some refused to even try. And as the American journalist Dinah Spritzer says, all those who were "brave in the attempt" deserve credit.
"I do want to say that anybody who agreed to try deserves a lot of credit and nobody should laugh at them. And I think there is a problem in the society where people are too hard on each other and are sometimes too demanding and do sometimes make fun of each other. I guess that's up for Czechs to decide but I think anybody who is trying to learn deserves credit but maybe people are suspicious because if you are running for European Parliament you should have an international view."
Having a couple of foreign languages under their belt may not necessarily make someone a better politician, but in a new Europe of 25 countries and at least as many languages, it certainly helps.
