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VOTE FOR ME!the first direct presidential elections in the czech republic
Alena MACKOVÁOtto EIBLMiloš GREGOR
SOME BASIC FACTS:• electoral system:
• two round run-off (similar to the Lower House - Senate)• (first round - 11-12 January 2013; second round - 25-26 January 2013)
• campaign spending limit:• first round: 40 millions CZK (approx. 1,600.000 EUR)• second round: 10 millions CZK (approx. 400.000 EUR)
• number of candidates: 19 (only nine of them were allowed to run - mostly partisan candidates or candidates with some “political record from the past”)
• voter turnout• first round: 61,31 %• second round: 59,11 %
• rich international media coverage and unusual number of TV debates of the candidates (tv hosts - agenda setters for public discussion)
BECOMING A CANDIDATE:gathering 50.000 signatures from citizens OR getting support from ten
Senators or twenty Deputies
I WILL TELL YOU A STORY OF...:• Formally, the czech president enjoys rather restricted powers.
• How to attract voters?
• with life stories of the candidates• with topics and issues exceeding presidential powers (“initiating the debate”)• with metaphorical stories of “good and evil” and/or “dark past and bright future”• with highly personalized conflicts and negative advertising
FINAL RESULTS:1st Round 2nd Round
Roithová Zuzana MUDr. MBA 4,95 X
Fischer Jan Ing. CSc. 16,35 X
Bobošíková Jana Ing. 2,39 X
Fischerová Taťana 3,23 X
Sobotka Přemysl MUDr. 2,46 X
Zeman Miloš Ing. 24,21 54,8
Franz Vladimír Prof. JUDr. 6,84 X
Dienstbier Jiří 16,12 X
Schwarzenberg Karel 23,4 45,19
INTRODUCING CANDIDATES:JAN FISCHER (*1951, Prague):
• lifelong statistician• since the early 1990s he led the team tallying the elections
in the Czech Republic results• since 2003 president of the Czech Statistical Office
• member of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia from 1980 till the collapse of the Communist regime in 1989
• former prime-minister (caretake government; 8 May 2009 – 13 July 2010)
• quite respected and popular
JAN FISCHER’S CAMPAIGN:• “early bird” - the campaign started in april 2012 with the
“Honza, don’t hide!” spot
• positioning: one of us, a decent man - center (catch-all) position
• message: the change is possible (first step to change), men you can trust
• image: Fischer as capable clerk, hard working, energic and loyal independent (!) candidate
• criticism and negative campaign against him• candidate “without content”, low integrity on political issues• KSČM member
INTRODUCING CANDIDATES:KAREL SCHWARZENBERG (*1937, Prague):
• from 1948 to 1990, he lived in Austria where he became a noted critic of human rights violations in the Eastern Bloc (chair of the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights).
• After the collapse of communism he became a close adviser to Václav Havel and relocated to Prague.
• in 2004 elected in the Senate (nominated by US-DEU and ODA)
• currently, he is a leader of TOP 09 and former minister of Foreign Affairs (from 2007 (Green Party) till 2013 (TOP 09))
• very respected and popular (especially among young people, better educated Czechs and artists)
KAREL SCHWARZENBERG’S CAMPAIGN:• positioning: responsible and decent men with good political
record from the past, successor of Václav Havel, right wing• message: i will not step aside my path (towards good
democracy); my presidency will respect the constitution• image: cool, cheeky and funny men, in touch with youth,
conservative
• interesting things: • surpression of partisan identity (literally no word of TOP 09)• very strong on social networks (Facebook)• use of musical and cultural events (A night with Karel)• endorsements by artists and other celebrities
• criticism and negative campaign against him• member of “antisocial government”• falling asleep anytime, anywhere• too pro-german, does not even speak czech properly• his wife does not speak czech at all
INTRODUCING CANDIDATES:MILOŠ ZEMAN (*1944, Kolín):
• member of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia from 1968 till 1970 (expelled due to his disagreement with the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia)
• 1989 joined the leaders or the Civic Forum
• former ČSSD leader (since 1993; he transformed the party into one of the country's major parties); replaced in 2001 (then he was retired and moved to the country; due to conflicts with Jiří Paroubek he left the party in 2007)
• former Chair of the Chamber of Deputies (1996-1998), former prime-minister (1998-2002)
• in 2009 he founded a new party (Party of Civic Rights – Zemanovci)
• controversial person
MILOŠ ZEMAN’S CAMPAIGN:• positioning: president for “lower 10 millions”, proponent of
welfare state/opposition to the right wing government; authentic czech; left wing
• message: stop Nečas’ government; Czech Republic - the place I love
• image: “authentic czech” (in positive and negative way); popular; just being himself - the old and good Miloš Zeman
• interesting things: • supported by his daughter Kateřina (young and blonde)• weak on social networks (Facebook)• very strong in TV Debates• series of billboards - important events in modern history of
the Czech Republic
• criticism and negative campaign against him• “architect” of the opposition treaty, “same-as-Klaus” political
styl• ugly men with unhealthy lifestyle (smoking and heavy
drinking)
WHO ENDORSES WHOM:although ČSSD recommended to vote for Zeman
Fischer’s team supported Schwarzenbergno endorsement at all
THE DUEL: “THE NOBLE PUNK” vs “AVERAGE CZECH CITIZEN”:
“a man of the past!” “a man of the present (member of the unpopular government)”
THE DUEL: “THE NOBLE PUNK” vs “AVERAGE CZECH CITIZEN”:
• mobilization through social media
• phone calls to voters• against lies and deception• Zeman = Klaus• successor of Václav Havel• a vision of bright future• no negative attacks against
Zeman (all attacks were “spontaneous” and directed by Schwarzenberg’s supporters and fans)
• attempts to improve on-line communication
• direct mail (low integrity)• negative appeals against
Schwarzenberg (Beneš Decrees)
• against the whole government (personalized by Schwarzenberg)
“a man of the past!” “a man of the present”
RUNNING FOR THE PRESIDENT: PHASE ONE - GETTING THE NECESSARY SIGNATURES:
1. O ZNAČKÁCH OBECNĚ
2. NATION BRANDING/COMPETITIVE IDENTITY - KONCEPTUÁLNÍ VYMEZENÍ (i vůči PUBLIC DIPLOMACY)MILOŠ ZEMAN - THEPRESIDENTOF THE CZECH REPUBLIC
THANK YOU FOR YOU ATTENTION
Alena MACKOVÁ ([email protected])Otto EIBL ([email protected])Miloš GREGOR ([email protected])
