On Friday, June 19th President Václav Klaus is due to celebrate his sixty-eighth birthday. Inside Prague Castle the celebration is likely to be dignified as befits a head of state. Outside the castle gates things are likely to be a little wilder. The president’s opponents and supporters plan it to have it out, right beneath the president’s windows.
Václav Klaus|Photo: Radio Prague International
The controversial Czech president is a man of strong opinions who does not care to mince his words. His views on global warming, civic society and EU integration have raised the ire of people from Prague to Brussels and beyond. Reports of some of his memorable statements and speculation as to whether he could single-handedly sink the Lisbon treaty have made headlines around the world. And the Czech president appears to be enjoying the attention. Now his fiercest opponents and staunches supporters are planning to wish the president a happy birthday with a happening that is likely to overshadow any official celebrations. Paradoxically both groups have almost identical names – the anti-Klaus lobby made up largely of students and cultural figures is called “Enough is enough”. Its members are fans and supporters of the former Czech president Václav Havel, and claim that the current president has become a liability and an embarrassment to the country. They have repeatedly called on him to resign from office, some would even like to see him impeached. One of the group plans to appear dressed as the Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin – to wish Mr. Klaus a happy birthday – a reference to what they call Mr. Klaus’ pro-Russian orientation.
Prague Castle
Students among them have even invited a psychiatrist to present a lecture on the dangers of narcissism and have asked supporters to come armed with a narcissus flower –or daffodil - as a symbol of Mr. Klaus’ alleged self-love. The rival camp of Mr. Klaus’ supporters – also called “Enough” - will also rally under his windows to show the president that some Czechs still respect and admire him. Their event is being held under the motto “enough of Václav Havel” and they plan to unfurl banners reading “With the EU forevermore” a parody of the banners that used to proclaim friendship with the Soviet Union under communism. They want to show their gratitude to Mr. Klaus for “defending national interests and not bowing to international pressure.” No one knows how this birthday happening –scheduled for Wednesday night - will end – or whether Mr. Klaus will peek from behind a curtain to see what is unfolding down below. However, if his highly publicized speech in the European Parliament is anything to go by –the head of state is likely to be amused. As he said, in the wake of the storm he created in Strasbourg, the worst thing that could have happened was for him to have bored his audience.
