The Dangerous Speech of Miloš Zeman in the Czech Republic

Miloš Zeman is the president of the Czech Republic who was chosen in direct elections. Ever since the beginning of the refugee crisis in Europe in 2015, he has been making statements against immigrants who, according to him, present a major security threat because of their religion - Islam. His level of support varies, but a government survey from May 2017 indicates around 40% support for him. His rhetoric strongly influences government policies as well as the public opinion about migrants. Despite the fact that the Czech Republic accepted one of the lowest numbers of refugees among all member states of the European Union, the public opinion about the refugees is worse there than anywhere else in Europe.1 Zeman participated in the 2018 presidential elections and has again been nominated president. This analysis draws heavily on the interview he gave to the Washington Post in January 2017.