Update: 2/05/2024 17:19
Issued by: 2/05/2024, 2:16 p.m
Prague – Former prime minister and chairman of the ANO movement Andrej Babiš called Prime Minister Petr Fiala (ODS) a ridiculous, or rather just a sad character, because of the campaign. The prime minister is dividing society with Russian symbols, flags and slogans, said Babiš in a statement available to ČTK.
According to Fiala, the Together Coalition (ODS, KDU-ČSL, TOP 09) took advantage of the fact that ANO did not register the domain with the slogan of its campaign to the European Parliament “Czech Republic, everything for you”. The picture with the slogan changed to “Russia, everything for you”, which she posted on the website, is intended to draw attention to the dangers arising from the YES policy, the Prime Minister told reporters today.
The chairperson of the movement’s parliamentary club, Alena Schillerová, called the altered images from the ANO campaign a hybrid attack by the coalition of five. Babiš described the prime minister as a ridiculous, or perhaps just a sad character.
“I don’t understand how he can lie about a positive campaign, when he just divides society with some Russian cartoons, flags and slogans. He only abuses the war in Ukraine and doesn’t care at all that people are dying there, he campaigns on that tragedy and brags about it, ” remarked Babiš.
“If they need to register a domain that we didn’t want to use, let them enjoy it, the content is important. While we have a positive slogan ‘Czech Republic, everything for you’, they are running an anti-campaign, as they have always done,” added the ex-prime minister .
At the press conference before today’s session of the House of Representatives, Schillerová spoke about the demand for Fial’s apology. However, the Prime Minister and the chairman of the coalition of civil democrats excused himself from today’s meeting due to work reasons.
Today, Fiala denied that the coalition was embarking on an anti-campaign. According to him, the placement of the graphic is an indication of the danger that the ANO policy brings. The prime minister also said that the Together coalition does not hide the fact that it is the author of this campaign method. “If I have information from our election team, ANO made the incredible mistake of not registering the domain with the key password of the campaign. I think my colleagues are pointing this out quite well,” he said.
ANO presented its campaign and slogan before the June European elections in Zlín on Wednesday. However, the website with the main slogan of the campaign “Czech Republic, for everything” contains material created by the government coalition Spolu. In addition to the slogan “Russia, everything for you”, Babiš and the number one candidate Klára Dostálova have Russian instead of the Czech flag on their faces. The picture is accompanied by the text “You should vote together in Europe, there is no Russia in danger.”
