Social Democrats hike for votes

COURTESY PHOTO - Social Democratic Party Chairman Paroubek, front center, wanted a head start up the historic hill ? but the crowd caught up

In what has become an annual rally of popular support, more than 4,000 Social Democratic Party devotees met Oct. 4 to climb Mount Říp, a historic hill in central Bohemia.Held days before the Oct. 18 Senate and regional elections, this year’s event drew a particularly enthusiastic crowd. “This year, more people than ever showed up,” said party Chairman Jiří Paroubek. “We’ll have to find a bigger mountain if the trend continues.”Mount Říp is said to be the place where the first Slavs claimed Bohemia as their homeland, and has been a religious pilgrimage destination since the Middle Ages. The hill has provided foundation stones for many iconic buildings, including the National Museum in Prague. During the National Revival of the 1800s, the iconic hill became a traditional meeting place for political rallies. A rally sign posted in a nearby pub capitalized on this tradition: “Mount Říp is to Czechs what Mecca is to Muslims,” it read. Even as mainstream Social Democrats demonstrated their pre-election unity at Říp, a breakaway party faction met at the Congress Center in Prague. The group, called “Friends of Miloš Zeman,” refused the invitation to join the current leadership on Mount Říp, instead organizing a conference to support the 2013 presidential campaign of former Prime Minister Miloš Zeman. In a rare re-emergence onto the political scene, Zeman attended the meeting and did not rule out the possibility of future presidential candidacy. “Politics is swamped with people who want to get rich quickly,” he said in a jab at the current political elite. He pointed out that he never betrayed anyone during his political career, did not steal anything and always fulfilled his promises.In a separate event competing with the Mount Říp ascent, members of the Civic Democratic Party climbed Javořice, the highest mountain in the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands. Javořice is almost 400 meters higher than Mount Říp, which party members made sure to point out. “Clearly, the Social Democrats don’t have much fire left if they’re climbing up an extinct volcano that was last active [millions of years ago],” said one party member. But, if the success of the events was decided by media interest, the Social Democrats would be the clear winners. Despite previous rainy days, the sunny weather seemed tailor-made for the occasion. Social Democratic Party supporters began clustering at the foot of Říp in the morning, arriving in cars and special buses from across the country. The group comprised young families with kids, as well as pensioners coming to meet their political idols and complain about the rising prices of electricity and bread. Pop songs from the 1980s performed by homegrown musicians blared from the stage as local vendors distributed free-of-charge food and beer in ample quantities. At the refreshment stalls, all socialist solidarity was forgotten as thirsty visitors trampled their fellow Social Democrats in an effort to bypass the snaking queue.While often unable to fill conference rooms during press briefings, the leaders of the opposition government received superstar treatment during the event. Paroubek and his colleagues arrived at precisely 11 a.m. and were immediately mauled by camera-happy, autograph-hungry fans.However, not all regional leaders made it to the gathering. Most conspicuous was the absence of Shadow Health Minister David Rath, who is running for office in central Bohemia, which includes the Mount Říp area. He was not available for comment at press time.Race to the topParoubek, known for his burly figure, requested a head start before initiating his noontime ascent to the hilltop. “It’ll take me a bit longer, and I need to be fresh for my speech once I arrive,” he said. But, as soon as Paroubek set out, the assembled crowd moved with him. He reached the top surrounded by reporters, bodyguards and fans after an impressive 15 minutes, resting in the summit pub while the long trail of supporters slowly followed. In their ongoing election campaign, the Social Democrats aim to convince voters that regional elections are a referendum on the competence of the Civic Democrat–led government, which has introduced a series of unpopular policies, including tax hikes, healthcare fees and the radar-base treaty with the United States.In his speech, Paroubek amplified his trademark government-bashing rhetoric by announcing plans to initiate a parliamentary vote of no confidence immediately after the regional elections. “We want to change the political map of the Czech Republic, which has been too blue for too long,” he said, referring to the party color of the Civic Democrats. “Every vote for us is a signal that people have had enough of the current government.”

The Prague Post