Getting through the political quagmire to solid ground

Photo: archive of Radio Prague

“Why are these bastards lying to me?” is a quote wrongly attributed to the BBC’s iconic interviewer Jeremy Paxman about his approach to politicians. In rectification, Paxman says he approaches the political profession with scepticism but not cynicism. Not everyone lies all the time, he adds.

Photo: archive of Radio Prague
It was Paxman’s misattributed quote that occurred to me recently when a Czech opposition politician launched an attack on government policy at a public meeting. When I approached him later he elaborated with some figures on underspending in a key area. Checking the facts later, the figures at first seemed to bear no resemblance to reality. Eventually, though they began to take shape as the gap between actual and past promises of increased amounts.

Trying to get to the bottom of the problem, I pondered at first sending an e-mail to the politician in question. Past experience though has taught me the chances of getting an answer back are about as great as expecting one of those clay pigeons used in shooting contests to return home to roost.

The ministry response was not too helpful either at giving any context. The spokesman did not want to flag up the fact that the proposed tripling of the budget for this sector simply had not happened. This issue was now becoming a hot political topic.

Such are the hazards of political claims and ministry obfuscation. And they brought back other recent encounters with Czech politicians. I am not saying they are better or worse than versions in other countries – but they are the models that I most meet now.

There was, for example, the pre-election interview with a prime minister running for re-election. A photo was needed to accompany the interview and the prime minister’s desk looked like a documentary dustbin. My work space is not any better by the way but I am not trying to impress anyone and don’t hold with the phrase that a tidy desk is a tidy mind. Anyway, the prime minister arrogantly called on his spokeswoman to clear away the mess, re-arranged a few items to make it look better, and posed for the picture.

The photographer, who had a low impression of the politician at the outset, got some payback a few weeks later when he snapped some grotesque photos of the candidate easing a large, greasy, sausage into his mouth. I’m not sure if the snaps were circulated for international consumption.

Then there was another profile interview with a party leader about the same time. I asked him if he could name his political hero (such details are good in that sort of story). He came out with some name I was only vaguely familiar with, and added helpfully that he was a famous Spanish leader.

After a lot of wasted time I eventually found the so-called Spanish leader was in fact Portuguese. Can you make such a basic mistake about your political idol unless you just trawled up some name for effect? It’s like me saying that my journalistic idol is the American George Orwell. I am pretty sure Orwell never set foot in the United States.

Around 10 years ago there was also a conference at which one leading member of the then opposition, known for speaking 20 words when two would do, was addressing the public. He had his rather, long, say but at the end of the debate I unfortunately had to ask a few more questions. Professional diligence prevailed. “Don’t ask him any more questions, it will only encourage him” shouted out the one woman in the full hearing of the politician. I am happy to say he did not seem too offended and he has not been discouraged in his current high political office.