Why are we so flattered that the Czech Republic is the sick man of Europe – Seznam Zprávy

The Czech Republic is the sick man of Europe, “kranker Mann Europas”, wrote a German daily last month The world. Which attracted well-deserved attention from us, and not only that: You can straight away say that we float in that nickname. Sometimes we even laugh.

Since then, the sick man of Europe has been fought on the internet and in parliament. It is interesting to observe how Alena Schillerová influences foreign media monitors only when they are not writing about Andrej Babiš.

But the considerable response of the “sick man of Europe” does not result only from the fact that it is a catchy phrase. Not only from the fact that the Czech economy really has problems, according to Welt, so much so that its medical record currently belongs to the absolute top of Europe.

The undercurrent that feeds it all is represented by traditional Czech inclinations. First of all, a fondness for pre-eminence and self-indulgence, which are two sides of the same coin. For once we are world champions in something and he watches appreciatively how we always manage to get along. Other times, on the other hand, we fall into pessimism, because here (as usual) everything goes to hell the most in the world, and he sees it this time as well.

A case study of impressions from category a) and b), pride and shame/resignation, is usually the participation of the national team in hockey championships.

And secondly, it is the tendency of a medium-sized, rather smaller country to seek international attention. One could strictly speak of an inferiority complex. In any case, the desire to share VIP company belongs to the Czech DNA, and even so strongly that it doesn’t even matter if it is the company of VIP troublemakers, as in the case of the sick man of Europe. We are indeed sick – but therefore interesting, even important!

Being the sick man of Europe is actually something like being the navel of the world for us. Only upside down. Well, does it really matter that much?

I don’t think it is possible to explain well enough why the Welt article took us so far without first speculating about the alleged national nature. Although he more or less only brought facts that have been discussed in detail on the domestic scene for many months.

Before us, the title of the sick men of Europe was received – approximately in order from the present to the past – for example, Sweden, Italy, Greece, France, Germany (and it seems to me that the press there has been eager to strike back ever since), Great Britain. And very first, during the time of the Ottoman Empire, Turkey. The term “sick man” is said to have been coined by the Russian Tsar Nicholas I in the mid-19th century, originally as “the sick man on the Bosphorus”. Over time, it turned into a media label for a country that for some reason finds itself in trouble, primarily of an economic nature.

What is – and especially for us – significant: Only states that are, or should be, healthy under normal circumstances can become sick men. Certainly no one would say that Albania or Belarus are the sick men of Europe. To be so, at the very least, means confirming that the sick man, who will also one day happily recover, is also an economically significant democracy, or possibly a great power.

Simply a VIP club in which we wish to take the handle.

Actually, it only has one flaw. Or two. The phrase is unbearably masculine and limited to European soil. A sick man, or a sick woman of the world – that would flatter us even more. Unfortunately, this is not said, although the world is full of countries that would fulfill the diagnosis and qualify for the playoffs for the respective title. Always.