MOSCOW, November 22 (Sputnik) — Two-thirds of Czechs polled believe the country’s president Milos Zeman has divided society and represented the Czech Republic improperly, Radio Praha reported Saturday, citing a poll conducted by the Median agency.
Another Median agency poll found that the popularity of Zeman has declined by 21 percent in the last month alone, the radio reported. Only 37 percent of the Czechs trust Zeman now, compared to 58 percent in October.
Among the reasons behind the sharp rise in the public’ dissatisfaction with Zeman is the "marked pro-Russian stance", the broadcaster said.
On November 17, in an interview Russian Channel One in Russia, Zeman opined that what is happening in Ukraine is simply a civil war and spoke against the sanctions that have been imposed against Russia by the West over its alleged role in the crisis in Ukraine.
Another reason Radio Praha reported as being behind the public outrage at Zeman is a "questionable approach to China" revealed during a recent visit there. According to Czech media reports, some of the country believes Zeman's interest in pursuing economic and business ends with China could be fraught with the unknown.
Zeman garnered considerable media attention globally earlier in November in an expletive laden live radio interview. The country's state media watchdog reportedly received hundreds of complaints from shocked listeners but Zaman has yet to apologise for the broadcast, the UK Independent newspaper reported.
Zeman became president in March, 2013. Previously, he served as Prime Minister and Chairman of the Chamber of Deputies, which is the lower house of the Czech parliament.
With dissent increasing, the country's Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka has scheduled a meeting with Zeman in December to discuss the issue.
