Nearly Half of Czechs Say Pavel's Conduct Toward the Government Is Appropriate

According to a recent opinion poll, 47% of Czechs believe President Petr Pavel is behaving appropriately toward the country's new government. About a third of respondents feel the head of state is too active on this front, while 12% would actually like to see him take an even more hands-on approach.

Support or Oversight?

Researchers also asked respondents what role they think the president should play — backing the government or keeping watch over its actions. Opinions were split: 21% believe the president's main job should be to support the cabinet, while 44% think he should do both — support the government and monitor its work at the same time.

Another third of those surveyed believe the president should actively keep the government's activities in check, even if that leads to conflict.

Views Split Along Political Lines

The study's authors note that respondents weren't judging the presidency in the abstract, but rather the current head of state specifically and his particular style of conduct. People's views, they add, are closely tied to their political leanings: supporters of the ruling parties are more likely to want a president who backs the government, while opposition supporters and non-voters more often favor a president who keeps the cabinet under close scrutiny.

Source: novinky.cz