Czech Social Democrats boycott media

After several of its election rallies were violently disrupted the Czech Social Democratic Party - currently leading in the polls - wants to boycott several major newspapers which it accuses of poisoning the country's political atmosphere during the election campaign. The conservative daily Lidové noviny - also subject to the boycott - is indignant: "This media blockade is directed at democratic society as a whole. ... Politicians are duty bound not just to preach to the converted, but to try to win over those who have refused to vote for them in the past. But Social Democratic leader Jiří Paroubek has turned a cold shoulder to everyone but his own flock. In so doing he has made it clear that he plans to govern without consideration for almost two million people - or even against them. Politicians must unite society, not divide it. ... With this extreme move the leader of the strongest party has himself worsened the atmosphere. It's hard to understand how he hopes to win people's support for the necessary sacrifices after the elections."

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