Translated material
The case of Prime Minister Zeman
Czech politician suspected of dependence on Russia
As soon as it emerged, the Czech Citizens' Rights Party (CPP) found itself in the center of increased attention from politicians and the press. Information has emerged that the party, led by former Prime Minister Milos Zeman, received funding from people associated with Russian business circles.One of the sponsors of the BCP is Martin Nejedly, managing director of Lukoil Aviation Czech, a local subsidiary of LUKOIL. “So far, the main sponsors of the party are me and Nejedly,” local businessman and politician Miroslav Šlouf, also known for his contacts with Russian business, confirmed to the Mlada Fronta Dnes newspaper. In particular, he claims that in 2007 he helped LUKOIL receive an order for the supply of jet fuel for Prague's Ruzyne Airport.
Schlouf and Needly claim that they sponsor the BCP from personal funds. “I want to help Zeman because he is capable of changing a lot in politics,” Nejedly told reporters. According to media reports, he allocated about 400 thousand crowns (about 22 thousand dollars) to prepare this party for the May parliamentary elections. According to Schlouf, Russian firms are not involved in financing the BCP. In addition to donations from private sponsors, Zeman’s supporters intend to receive funds for the election campaign through a bank loan and from friendly parties from Austria, Germany, Poland and Slovakia. The former prime minister himself claims that he does not know the sources of financing for his party. According to him, these issues are dealt with by the economic department of the BCP.
According to some Czech media, Slouf and Nejedly's connections with Russian circles indicate the Kremlin's ongoing attempts to influence the political life of the Czech Republic. Lately, there has been a lot of talk in Prague about LUKOIL’s intention to acquire shares in the local oil refining company Ceska Refinerska. Some politicians are concerned about the possible participation of the Russian concern Atomstroyexport in the completion of the Czech Temelin nuclear power plant. They believe that the implementation of these plans threatens not only economic but also political dependence on Russia.
The Russian side states that there is no basis for such allegations. “Economic contacts between our countries exist and are developing, which is quite natural. Their basis is pragmatism and mutual benefit; there is no politics here and there cannot be,” a source close to Russian diplomatic circles in Prague told Vremya Novostei.
Deputy Director of the Czech Institute of International Relations Petr Kratochvil is also not inclined to overestimate the importance of the “Russian orientation” of the sponsors of the BCP. “We could talk about Russia’s growing influence only if the party gets into parliament, which, in my opinion, is extremely implausible,” the political scientist said in an interview with VN. According to the expert, reports about the party’s sponsors cannot harm Zeman himself: “For his supporters, ties with Russia are not something reprehensible. Voters who fear Moscow's growing influence are on the right side of the political spectrum."
Miroslav Slouf led Zeman's team of advisers when he headed the government from 1998 to 2002. Today he is considered one of the most influential political lobbyists in the Czech Republic. They say that it was Schlouf who came up with the idea of returning the 65-year-old ex-prime minister to big-time politics after a seven-year break. Zeman went into hiding in 2003 after losing the race for the presidency to the current head of the Czech Republic, Vaclav Klaus. Four years later, he left the Czech Social Democratic Party after a quarrel with its new leadership, although Zeman led it for many years.
The Citizens' Rights Party was registered last December. Its founders explain the creation of the BCP by “growing dissatisfaction with the political situation in the Czech Republic.” Zeman's supporters consider one of their main tasks to be changing the electoral legislation, in particular the introduction of direct presidential elections (today the head of state is elected by parliament). At the May parliamentary elections, the PPG expects to overcome the five percent threshold and get its representatives into the Chamber of Deputies. The PPG election campaign, estimated at 30 million crowns (about $1.7 million), starts in early March.
The leader of the PPG was recently received at Prague Castle by President Vaclav Klaus. The head of state, as Zeman himself told reporters after this meeting, agreed with the opinion on the need to change the election law and expressed “certain sympathies” to the party.