12.1.13

Česká prezidentská show / The Czech presidential show

Včera a dnes proběhlo první kolo první přímé volby prezidenta České republiky. Prezident zatím zvolen nebyl (potřeboval by více než 50 % hlasů), takže bude za 2 týdny druhé kolo, do kterého postoupí dva nejúspěšnější kandidáti. Těmi se stali Miloš Zeman a Karel Schwarzenberg.

The first round of the first direct election of the president of the Czech Republic took place yesterday and today. The president has not been elected yet (he'd need more than 50 % of votes), so there'll be a second round in two weeks, to which two most successful candidates will advance. Miloš Zeman and Karel Schwarzenberg have become those two.


Předvolební prognózy / Pre-election polls - Fischer vs. Zeman


Podle předvolebních prognóz to vypadalo, že favority prezidentské volby budou Jan Fischer a Miloš Zeman. Podpora Jana Fischera ale klesala, zatímco například kampaň Karla Schwarzenberga gradovala až do posledního momentu, a tak nebylo vůbec jasné, jak volba nakonec dopadne.

Based on the pre-election prognoses, it seemed that Jan Fischer and Miloš Zeman were going to be the front-runners in the presidential election. However, the support for Jan Fischer was sinking, while the campaign of Karel Schwarzenberg, for example, was stepping up until the very last moment, and so it wasn't clear at all what the result of the election would be.

Týden před volbou, 4. ledna 2013, pozvala televize Prima dva nejžhavější prezidentské kandidáty do diskusního pořadu Prezidentský duel. Během debaty se zapojili příznivci obou kandidátů i jejich odpůrci, pozváni byli i různí experti a dokonce i Zemanova dcera a Fischerův syn. Kromě toho položil jeden z hostů kandidátům otázky v angličtině a v ruštině, aby ověřil jejich jazykové schopnosti. Ačkoliv podle měření síly potlesku zvítězil v debatě Fischer, novináři obecně považovali za vítěze Zemana.

A week before the election, on 4 January 2013, Prima TV invited the two hottest presidential candidates to its discussion programme Presidential duel. Supporters as well as opponents of both candidates became involved in the debate, various experts were invited, and even Zeman's daughter and Fischer's son. Besides that, one of the guests asked the candidates a few questions in English and Russian, to examine their language skills. Although Fischer won the debate based on the measuring of the applause intensity, journalists generally considered Zeman to be the winner. 


2. kolo volby / 2nd election round: Zeman vs. Schwarzenberg 


Miloš Zeman se narodil v roce 1944 a je to ekonom a politik. Byl předsedou České strany sociálně demokratické (ČSSD) v letech 1993-2001 a byl také premiérem České republiky - v letech 1998-2002. Na prezidenta kandiduje za Stranu práv občanů Zemanovci (SPOZ).

Miloš Zeman was born in 1944 and he is an economist and a politician. He was the president of the Czech social democratic party (ČSSD) in 1993-2001 and he was also the prime minister of the Czech Republic - between 1998 and 2002. He was nominated for the president by the Party of citizens' rights Zemanovci (SPOZ).

Je známý svými výroky a bonmoty, které bývají hrubé a arogantní. Nemá rád novináře, ale často kritizuje (uráží) i své oponenty. Například o jednom politikovi řekl: "Já osobně mu přezdívám skútr. Kdyby někdo nevěděl, co to je, znamená to zkurvený trpaslík." (Zdroj) Další bonmoty Miloše Zemana můžete najít např. na stránkách Reflexu.

He's well-known for his utterances and bon-mots, which tend to be rude and arrogant. He doesn't like journalists, but he also often criticises (insults) his opponents. For example, he said about one politician: "I personally call him "skútr" (it's a wordplay - like "fumid"). If somebody doesn't know what it is, it means a fucking midget." (Source) You can find more bon-mots of Miloš Zeman e.g. on the Reflex website.

Karel Schwarzenberg se narodil v roce 1937. Je to šlechtic a politik. Jeho rodina v roce 1948 emigrovala do Rakouska a on se vrátil do Československa v roce 1989. V letech 1984-1991 byl prezidentem Mezinárodního helsinského výboru pro lidská práva a byl za to vyznamenán Radou Evropy. V letech 2007-2009 byl ministrem zahraničních věcí a tím je i teď (od roku 2010). Na prezidenta kandiduje za stranu TOP 09.

Karel Schwarzenberg was born in 1937. He's an aristocrat and a politician. His family emigrated to Austria in 1948 and he came back to Czechoslovakia in 1989. Between 1984 and 1991, he was the president of the International Helsinki Committee for Human Rights and for that, he was given an award by the Council of Europe. Between 2007 and 2009, he was a minister of foreign affairs and he has currently been holding the position as well (since 2010). He was nominated for the president by the TOP 09 party.

Je známý svým zvláštním vyjadřováním - mluví lidově až vulgárně, ale taky archaicky. Taky je trochu těžké mu rozumět kvůli jeho výslovnosti - šišlání (neumí správně vyslovovat "r" aj.). I on je známý svými kritickými hláškami na adresu jiných politiků, a navíc usínáním na veřejnosti (v Poslanecké sněmovně, na konferenci apod.).

He's well-known for his peculiar language - he speaks colloquially to vulgarly, but also archaically. It is also rather difficult to understand him because of his pronunciation - lisp (he cannot pronounce "r" properly etc.). He is also well-known for his critical utterances concerning other politicians, and furthermore, for falling asleep at public events (in the House of Commons, at a conference etc.).


Volby do Poslanecké sněmovny 1990 - 2010
(Elections to the House of Commons)


Pro zajímavost se můžete podívat na grafy zachycující výsledky a volební účast ve volbách od roku 1990 do roku 2010. Na prvních šesti grafech jsou barvy podle vítězství stran, na dalších třech jsou barvy podle volební účasti a vítězné strany jsou v sloupkových grafech.

If you're interested, you can have a look at the charts capturing the election results and voter turnout in the elections from 1990 to 2010. In the first six figures, colours are differentiated according to winning parties, on the following three, colours are based on the voter turnout and winning parties are presented in the bar charts.
1990
1992
1996
1998
2002
2006

2002
2006
2010

Další zdroje / Other sources:

9.1.13

CZECH MUSIC: Mňága a Žďorp

Znáte českou muziku? České zpěváky, zpěvačky, kapely nebo lidové písničky? Že ne? No, já nejsem žádný expert, ale nějaké známé vám představit mohu. Například dnes večer jsem dostala chuť si poslechnout skupinu Mňága a Žďorp. 

Do you know Czech music? Czech singers (male, female), bands or folk songs? You don't? Well, I'm no expert, but I can introduce some of the well-known onse to you. For example this evening, I felt like listening to the band "Mňága a Žďorp". 

Je to takové divné jméno, že? Skupina je ze Slezska (z Valašského Meziříčí = ValMez) a tahle dvě slova prý v tamním dialektu znamenají "sračky a krámy" - mňága je prý "bláto, bahno a tak něco" a žďorp "jsou staré krámy, dnes se říká shit" - vysvětluje zpěvák Petr Fiala

It's such a weird name, isn't it? The band is from Silesia (from Valašské Meziříčí = ValMez) and they say these two words in local dialect mean "crap and junk" - mňága is said to be "mud and something like that" and žďorp "is old junk, today you say shit" - explains the singer Petr Fiala.

Na všechny členy skupiny se můžete podívat na jejich webu, kde si také můžete zadarmo stáhnout některé nejznámější písničky. Ty ale můžete najít i na YouTube se zajímavými klipy, tak tady jsou některé z nich - Made in Valmez, Hodinový hotel, Nejlíp jim bylo, Myslel jsem si, že je to láska a Písnička pro tebe!

You can see all the members of the band on their website, where you can also download some of their most popular songs for free. You can also find those on YouTube with interesting videos, however, so here are some of them - Made in Valmez, A brothel, They felt best, I thought it was love and A song for you!

5.1.13

Either you're French, or Russian - you can't be both!

You just wake up one day and realize you're Russian.
I just can't resist commenting on the recent fuss surrounding Depardieu and his change of citizenship. It's funny how upset people get!

But it just uncovers how nationalist our view of citizenship is: surely, you can't change citizenships just by clicking your fingers! If you want to be one of us, you have to have a deeper connection, you have to know our language, know our culture... You have to understand, you have to feel and be one of us! You cannot just come one day, and say: Hey, can I join you guys?

And that's the way our states work these days: they're erecting and raising the bars for every migrant who comes to a country... You have to fulfil and pay and know this and that, you have to speak our language this well - no, wait, that's not enough - that well! Oh, and you have to know aaaaaaall this about our culture and country. What? That our own nationals don't know that? But they were born here! They have a natural right to live here, but you don't, you have to earn it!

Why is the case of Depardieu so controversial? He's a famous actor, he brings popularity where he goes, right? He'll pay taxes - which will be a lot if he earns a lot... So what? Would Russians object if Bill Gates or Barack Obama came instead? What's the problem? That he doesn't live in Russia? And how about the thousands "native" Russian citizens residing in Europe, US and elsewhere?

I might not have all the information surrounding this case - and honestly, I don't really care. It's just amusing, observing how appalled some people are. And surprisingly enough, it's not because the French government decided to impose an appalling income tax on its rich citizens. 75%? Are you kidding me? How motivating is that? At that point, I'd rather stop working, or move out of the country myself! That's an outright robbery in plain sight!

So there are these two sides to citizenship - the emotional one which is poured into us through our educating systems, sports events, literature, mass media etc.; and the administrative one - controlling and complicating our everyday lives. Don't we have a right to influence the latter one? Or do we just envy Depardieu, because he has the power to solve it quickly, while most of us have to bear it and suffer and can't do nothing against? And if we decide to move elsewhere, we'll be nobodies - doing meaningless unrewarding jobs, fighting another pile of administrative rules, and after a loooooong looooong time - perhaps - getting a citizenship of another state.