It's true, it's true, where we Brits lead, others will follow! According to a report over at Zero Hedge, all those 'long-legged, high cheek-boned, inky, blinky Darlinkies' on whom 'SoD' dotes, are set to follow the lead of the Czech equivalent of 'our Nige'.
A "politically incorrect" billionaire businessman opposed to further EU integration is on track to become the next prime minister of the Czech Republic. [My emphasis]
Andrej Babis, a Slovak-born former finance minister who has been sharply critical of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's open-door migration policy, is leading the polls ahead of general elections, set for October 20.
Babis, one of the country's wealthiest people, presents himself as a non-ideological results-oriented reformer. He has pledged to run the Czech Republic like a business after years of what he calls corrupt and inept management. He is demanding a return of sovereignty from the European Union and rejects the euro; he argues that it would "be another issue that Brussels would be meddling with." He has also said he plans to cut government spending, stop people from "being parasites" in the social welfare system, and fight for Czech interests abroad. Babis is often referred to as "the Czech Donald Trump."
Does anyone know the Czech for 'whodathunkit'?
I'm glad we're leaving. Who'd want to be in a big supra-national organisation with such reluctant, isolationist racists?
That's a beautiful phrase, by the way - "non-ideological results-oriented reformer". Where can the UK buy one?
Posted by: Whyaxye | Monday, 09 October 2017 at 10:41
"non-ideological results-oriented reformer"...first step, infuriate all the right people. That 'stop people from being parasites' will go a long way in doing so.
Posted by: Whitewall | Monday, 09 October 2017 at 12:06
He's bent as a nine Bob note. Shiftier than a shit-house rat.
Another state handing over to a country-bumpkin and setting the controls to oblivion.
SoD
Posted by: Loz | Monday, 09 October 2017 at 13:54
The Donald was born into money in New York City, got a degree in economics from the University of Pennsylvania, has been a local and national television celebrity and is definitely not a country bumpkin. Furthermore, country bumpkins, as defined by income, were not his majority of voters. Only a third had household incomes at or below the national median. Another third made 100 to 200% of median and another third made 200% or more. The media blather about the white working class is nonsense.
Trump appeals mostly to authoritarians and xenophobes. They wanted to believe his lies about what he could do for them, ignore that he's the most incompetent president in history and is likely mentally unsound. His popularity is back down to somewhere between 32 to 36%.
The dislike for Trump has nothing to do with political philosophy or position on the left/right spectrum. During the primaries the Republican "never Trump" crowd was large and included the NRO and Redstate, among countless other conservative pundits and commentators. Since being president he's been harshly criticized by Republicans Marco Rubio, Mitch McConnell, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Lindsey Graham, rightists like Bob Corker, Rand Paul, Orrin Hatch, and countless others. It's safe to assume none of them is suffering a derangement syndrome. Good luck, Czechia.
Posted by: Bob | Monday, 09 October 2017 at 16:23
I note that the only explicitly pro EU party is polling at less than half the communists and are likely not to get a seat.
I also note that Mr. Babis wants to stay in the EU because the EU sends Czechia money. This might not be true forever.
Of course, being surrounded by EU states Czechia will find leaving harder than we will. They will need allies, but then perhaps the Poles, the Slovaks, the Hungarians and maybe even the Austrians might step up, especially if EU subsidies dry up and/or if subscription rates increase.
Posted by: Pat | Monday, 09 October 2017 at 16:45
Quite so, Pat, and some of the money that Czechia receives comes from us - well, until 2019, that is!
Posted by: David Duff | Monday, 09 October 2017 at 17:45
They also know it ain't the EU handouts that matter, but the freedom of movement of goods, services, people, and capital that comes with the EU.
The single market makes the small guys who reform rich, without handouts.
They'll huff and puff on taking their fair shares of non-EU migrants, and probably trade their handouts for it given the Merkel Macron circs, along with the est of the Visegrad group.
The Club Medders will happily take the Visegrad moolah and bolt together a few more concentration camps for the Hairies while plucking out the doctors, nurses, and engineers for themselves.
All's well.
SoD
Posted by: Loz | Tuesday, 10 October 2017 at 15:10