CZECH REPUBLIC: Prague public largely unconcerned that both the country's prime minister, and leader of the opposition have left their wives for younger women

Record ID: 597915

  • Title: CZECH REPUBLIC: Prague public largely unconcerned that both the country's prime minister, and leader of the opposition have left their wives for younger women
  • Date: 3rd August 2007
  • Summary: (CEEF) PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC (AUGUST 1, 2007) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF NEWSPAPERS COMMENTING ON THE BIRTH OF TOPOLANEK'S SON NICOLAS TOPOLANEK
  • Embargoed: 18th August 2007 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Czech Republic
  • Country: Czech Republic
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVADT8EQWGX7YIII386AP54SN5R0
  • Story Text: Prague public largely unconcerned that both the country's prime minister, and leader of the opposition have left their wives for younger women. This is despite the 'family values' campaigning of the last elections.
    There seems to be something in the air in the Czech Republic this summer, with two of the country's leading politicians leaving their wives to live with younger women.
    The Czech media had a field day when prime minister Mirek Topolanek and his lover, the Parliament's Vice-Chair Lucie Talmanova, presented their new-born baby Nicolas last weekend.
    51-year old Topolanek had long denied the relationship with his younger party colleague, but when her pregnancy was announced in February, the two lived together openly. With Nicolas born on the 24th of July, Topolanek provided photographs of his son and lover to be published in magazines and newspapers throughout the country.
    On July 25th, he announced he was seeking a divorce from his wife.
    While the Czech public seems largely unconcerned about the relationship, political analyst Jiri Pehe says it was the fact that Topolanek had campaigned on 'family values' which is unpalatable.
    "A bigger problem than the fact that, for example, the prime minister has left his wife and he lives with his lover, is that he used his wife and his children during the election campaign to portray himself as a conservative politician who supports family values. His family travelled with him around the country at the time when he already had an affair with his political colleague Miss Talmanova," Pehe said.
    One Czech psychologist, Slavomir Hubalek, said the relationship between the two resulted in a combination of a lot of political power.
    "Completing this couple makes an unbelievable combination of the power of law, and executive power, in one household. Like a joke we could say, that ruling the country might by possible from one household," he said.
    But on the streets of Prague, many felt the situation was none of their business.
    "This is his business. It is not interesting for me, I simply don't care," one Prague resident said.
    "It is a classical example of a relationship. I don't think there is anything bad about it," said another.
    But Topolanek is not the only leading politician to leave his wife for a younger woman.
    On July 1st, the former prime minister and main opposition Social Democratic Party leader, Jiri Paroubek, announced he was divorcing his wife after becoming involved with his interpreter, Petra Kovacova.
    At just 34, Kovacova is 20 years younger than her lover.
    Paroubek's wife, Zuzana, who had remained by his side during difficult political times, said she and her husband no longer understood each other.
    "My husband likes another kind of literature, other films, he mixes in large groups. I am satisfied with being with one or two people,"
    she said.
    She seemed reluctant to blame Kovacova for her situation.
    "This divorce cannot be because of her. Or maybe it is, I don't know," she said.
    One older Prague resident seemed sceptical about the relationship, but admired Paroubek's ability to find a younger lover.
    "This will not last long. A young woman with an old man I mean.
    But if it suits him for a short while, why not," he said.
    "I cannot know how things were when they were married. Maybe the new one is better and that's why he left the old one," his wife said.
    The divorce rate in the Czech Republic is high, with one out of every two couples untying the knot. The divorce process is very simple and can cost as little as 12,000 crowns (approx 450 euros).
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