TOP 09 party announces former central bank governor to run as Prague mayor

The recently created TOP 09 party has pulled out what appears to be a trump card for upcoming local elections in the capital city, Prague. They have persuaded the highly respected and recently retired governor of the Czech National Bank to enter the ring and run for mayor.

Zdeněk Tůma, photo: CTK

Three parties were appointed to govern the Czech Republic for the next four years on Tuesday after burying their differences and agreeing a policy programme.

But politics continues, and as the new ministers from the right-wing Civic Democrats, conservative TOP 09 and centrist Public Affairs began to occupy their offices, the rumour started to circulate that former central bank governor Zdeněk Tůma would head TOP 09’s campaign in Prague for upcoming local elections.

That was confirmed on Wednesday by party leaders in the absence of Mr. Tůma who is on holiday in Italy. They admitted they had been bounced by the leak into making the announcement early.

This is how TOP 09 party chairman and Czech Foreign Minister, Karel Schwarzenberg described their candidate to be Prague mayor.

“He is one of the most experienced men and one of the most respected men we have in the Czech Republic with experience of managing, a great manager. He has experience of finances and experience of the economy and he knows this town very well.”

Karel Schwarzenberg, photo: CTK

Mr. Tůma headed the Czech National Bank for around a decade and has been ranked as one of the world’s best central bankers. Mr. Schwarzenberg said it was a small miracle that they had got him to accept the nomination to run for mayor even though he is still not a member of the TOP 09 party.

The Civic Democrats and TOP 09 look like being the two principle contenders for the battle to command the Czech capital.

But they go into the fray with very different records and in a very different state. The Civic Democrats have always been the dominant party in Prague city hall since the return of party politics following the Velvet Revolution. But their long record in power has taken its toll. They have been tarnished by corruption scandals and outgoing mayor Pavel Bém looks like he has jumped a sinking ship by getting elected to parliament.

In the lower house elections at the end of May, the Civic Democrats were beaten into second place in the capital by none other than TOP 09. The newcomer party won 27.27 percent of votes against 24.79 percent for the ruling regime.

Mr. Schwarzenberg believes his party has a great chance to take over the Civic Democrat bastion when voters go to the polls on October 15 and 16. He says no stronghold is invincible for ever.

Prague

“Even greater strongholds have fallen after some time. Sometimes it takes 20 years, sometimes 200 years, but sometimes it is just two months.”

Remember Singapore, quipped Mr. Schwarzenberg, about the British naval base that fell to the Japanese during the Second World War. There the heavy guns were pointing in the wrong direction, and he reckons that is the case with the Civic Democrats as well.