Czech Radio survey: The life of the wealthy upper middle class

An in-depth survey commissioned by Czech Radio suggests that Czech society is divided into six social classes that differ in terms of resources and status. The study defines two types of upper middle class, three types of lower middle class and an impoverished class. Czech Radio found a typical representative of each social class. First we introduce a representative of the wealthy, upper middle class.

Eva Baxová, photo: Michaela Danelová / Czech Radio

The upper middle class include the wealthy (22 percent) and cosmopolitans (12 percent), who have less money but strong social contacts and skills. The former are usually middle-aged, highly skilled specialists in their field, well-established in the public sphere or private companies, who have a high income and extensive social contacts, but who have restricted skills in the area of new competences.

Eva Baxová, photo: Michaela Danelová / Czech Radio

Eva Baxová is a typical representative of this group. She is well-situated, has a private practice as a GP in Plzen, drives to work and lives in a house with a large garden together with her husband Josef Baxa, who is a judge at the Supreme Administrative Court in Brno. Their children are gown-up, which means the Baxas have time to travel and socialize.

Eva Baxová says her life is good:

“I am happy with the way things are. I was happy working at the hospital before, but the private practice I set up twenty years ago is thriving and it is fulfilling to know that I am making life better for myself and for my patients.”

The free time that she and her husband have is spent working in the garden, spending time with their grandson, helping their elderly parents or meeting up with friends. She spent her summer holiday this year in Greece together with her husband and grandchild. Although she has a busy schedule, Eva Baxová says she is active locally and keeps abreast of what’s happening at home and abroad.

"There isn’t a day when I don’t read the papers and watch television to find out what’s happening. I make my own views and don’t let myself be manipulated by anyone. I feel that following public affairs is important, it is kind of like my daily bread.“

Eva Baxová, photo: Michaela Danelová / Czech Radio

Thirty years ago Eva, her husband Josef and their three-year old daughter joined the pro-democracy protests in the streets of Prague. Eva says those heady days gave her great hope for the future and a renewed faith in people, in their ability to cast off their selfishness, their fear and unite behind a good cause. Today she says she’s disappointed with the turn things have taken.

Asked by Czech Radio’s reported why she gets het up about Czech politics when her own life is so comfortable, Eva had a ready answer:

“You know I think one must have higher goals, higher interests than just being happy with what you have. If I wasn’t concerned about the state of society, if I wasn’t active and ignored what’s going on beyond my little world then the oligarchs might take it all apart and we could find ourselves heading in a completely different direction that we intended when we called for democracy in 1989.“