Civic Democrat chairman causes uproar over remarks about gays, Jews, Church
The chairman of the Civic Democratic Party, Mirek Topolánek, is in hot water over an interview he gave to a gay magazine. It included controversial statements about two members of the government, as well as the suggestion that the Church had made idiots of the masses. Mr Topolánek later apologised, but has come in for some criticism – including from inside his own party.
Mirek Topolánek on Sunday apologised to Christians, to Jews, and to gays for comments he made in a recent interview and photo shoot for the Czech gay magazine Lui. In video footage posted online by the tabloid Blesk, the former prime minister said the Catholic Church had brainwashed people and made idiots of the masses. When asked how he would describe gays, Mr Topolánek gave a jumbled answer, saying the minister of transport, Gustáv Slamečka, would fold if things got really tough. He then said Prime Minister Jan Fischer, who he pointed out was Jewish, would do the same.
“I think we have to see what Mr Topolánek said in the context of his previous rather unfortunate statements. He has a history of making really outrageous and sometimes outright stupid comments, especially when he ventures into some historical context. I am afraid this is not the first time and it is something not taken out of context: there is a context and that is his personal history of such statements. A politician, certainly one in a moderately developed democratic country, should know that certain things, words, sentences and references to very sensitive issues simply can’t be taken out of context and he should be very careful when he makes such statements.”
Mr Topolánek’s apology on Sunday did not succeed in extinguishing the controversy. Senate chair Přemysl Sobotka, a leading member of the Civic Democrats, has called on his party’s leader not to stand in May’s elections. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Fischer said he will keep communication with him to a minimum. Jiří Pehe again:
“I think that the statements by Mr Topolánek affected something in Mr Fischer that in his mind is very difficult to excuse: it goes to the roots of his identity and its not just the racial or religious slur, but also the fact that Mr Fischer stepped up to help Mr Topolánek and Mr Paroubek to lead the caretaker government at a time when politicians here had essentially failed.”
In a little over two months Czechs will vote on the next government; the controversy surrounding Mirek Topolánek has certainly not helped and may considerably dampen the Civic Democrats’ fortunes.
