Social Democrats chief: Euro elections leader Zaorálek will not be lost at that level

The leader of the Social Democrats’ candidates list for next year’s European Parliament elections, Lubomír Zaorálek, has contacts all over Europe, the party’s leader, Michal Šmarda, said at a news conference in Prague on Tuesday.

Mr. Zaorálek is a former foreign minister and arts minister and Mr. Šmarda said he would not be lost at European level, unlike the candidates of other parties.

The party’s chairman said the Euro elections were the start of the Social Democrats’ battle to make a return in Czech politics. The grouping failed to make it back into the lower house in the last general elections.