The longer it takes to find a common candidate, the more famous it must be – for voters to notice it at all.
At the weekend congress, the old-new chairman of the People’s Party, Marian Jurečka, assured the party that the governing coalition was diligently looking for a common candidate for president. He is said to be clear by September at the latest, he added.
And behind the scenes of the congress was a question that most voters of the current government have been asking for some time: Isn’t it a little late?
Prime Minister Petr Fiala and other heads of coalition parties are constantly repeating that the president should be a dignified representative and adhere to democratic principles. As if we were expecting them to send another Zeman to the election.
But the specific name of them do not and do not get. We could be reassured by experienced marketers advising the five-party coalition’s restrained tactics. After all, even in the last election, it happened that some candidates flew too fast and looked around.
Unfortunately, this is not the case. The Together coalition has simply not been able to find anyone yet. There were no proposals from TOP 09 and KDU-ČSL, although there is speculation in the ODS about the trio Vystrčil – Němcová – Vondra, but so far it is not progressing.
Of course, it is also possible to find a non-partisan personality. But as the prime minister lamented, respected personalities will not rush into the dirty election campaign. And the longer it takes to find a common candidate, the more famous it must be – for voters to notice him at all.
Jurečka argues that the last two months the governing parties did not have time to deal with the presidential election due to the war in Ukraine. And he’s right. But no one will ask about that at the elections next January.
Even the main competitor of the five-party coalition, Andrej Babiš, has not yet officially announced his candidacy, saying that it will not be enough until September. But the ex-prime minister is a shining example that when two people do the same thing, it’s not the same thing.
Babiš definitely does not have to introduce or remind the public. The presidential campaign is running completely open now. And when he picks up the square, swimming pool and summer events with his “apartment” in the summer, it will be difficult for him to catch up.
In addition, the former prime minister is already building his campaign on the government’s criticism and the deteriorating living conditions of many Czechs. Whether the governing coalition puts up a party candidate, a non-partisan personality, or just supports someone independent, part of the “blame” for government policy will inevitably cling to it.
And is the “coalition” candidate to look around in this from September? Good luck then.
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