PRAGUE - Former President Miloš Zeman spoke at a debate titled Our future - and once again showed that even after the end of his mandate he remains a strong voice in the Czech public space. His speech was a sharp criticism of the current government, the state of public administration, education, justice and the media atmosphere. And as before, he did not mince words.
"A state that is unable to enforce its laws ceases to be a state. At best it turns into a therapy centre, at worst into anarchy." With these words, Zeman began a more than one-hour speech in which he named what he believes is suffocating the Czech Republic: weakness, incompetence, ideology and laziness.
Politics as theatre without a director
Most of the criticism was directed at the current government. According to Zeman, they are political amateurs who run the country according to the mood on Twitter, not according to common sense.
"When you have bad actors and a bad script, you get bad theatre. When you add a director who is afraid to raise his voice, you get our government." According to him, the government today operates in the style of "let's pretend we are doing something, as long as no one minds".
He remarked with a smile: "Mr Fiala is undoubtedly an excellent academic. But a politician who is afraid to make decisions is not a statesman. He is an observer."
Zeman has repeatedly stressed that he has no problem with the opposition - but with a government that cannot govern. In his view, the government is drowning in its own compromises and is afraid of clear positions.
Education? Values zero, gender eight
Another target was the field of education, which he described as the biggest and most ignored disaster of our time.
"Our pupils cannot read, count or think. But they can name all the genders, the signs of climate anxiety and the principles of sustainable storytelling. Bravo!" According to him, education has become detached from reality and instead of a tool for growth it is turning into an ideological laboratory. "Mathematics matriculation is an exception. But a high school diploma in progressive dementia is something everyone else would do today."
Zeman also mentioned the de facto dysfunction of inclusion, the decline of discipline and the poor motivation of teachers. "Instead of learning, emotions are dealt with. Instead of teaching values, there is therapy. That's a direction that gets us nowhere."
The law that doesn't apply
The former president took an equally hard line on the failure of justice and law enforcement.
"When a crime goes unpunished, it ceases to be a crime - it becomes a strategy. And the higher you go, the more you laugh."
According to Zeman, the laws today apply selectively. Those who have friends, relationships, or strong PR can avoid punishment. This, he says, destroys faith in the state.
"The thief you don't catch keeps on stealing. The thief you catch and let go laughs at you. And the thief who becomes a counselor writes your laws."
Media, activists, detachment
Zeman also mentioned the role of the media and public debate. He criticized journalists who, in his opinion, often do not seek the truth but confirm their own positions. He also mentioned the pressure for self-censorship and correctness.
"When you tell the truth, you become a problem. When you lie correctly, you become an expert."
This shift, he says, makes the public space a place of hysteria and moralizing, where form reigns over content.
At the end of his speech, he called on citizens to be active. He said it was necessary to restore trust in authority, in the state and in concepts such as responsibility and performance.
"Let us be a nation, not a herd. A nation knows what it wants. The herd waits to be led - even to slaughter."
And he added a classic bon mot, this time with a serious undertone: "If you are ruled by a fool, it is his fault. If he rules you a second time, it's your fault."
gnews.cz - GH
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