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President Wanted

President Wanted

President Wanted is a 2013 Czech documentary film about the first direct presidential election in the Czech Republic. It was directed by Tomáš Kudrna.

Plot

The film starts with introduction of all candidates during Czech Television debate prior the first round. Candidates included Jan Fischer (former caretaker Prime Minister), Miloš Zeman (former Prime Minister), Karel Schwarzenberg (Minister of Foreign Affairs), Jiří Dienstbier Jr. (Social democratic Senator), Vladimír Franz (University professor), Přemysl Sobotka (Senator), Jana Bobošíková (Journalist and leader of Sovereignty - Jana Bobošíková Bloc), Zuzana Roithová (Christian democratic MEP) and Táňa Fischerová (leader of leader of anthroposofic Key Movement). The film then returns to the beginning of the campaign. It shows Independent candidates, like Zeman, Fischer or Franz gathering signatures by citizens that are required to be candidate. Fischer is leading the polls while Zeman is second and Schwarzenberg third but film shows political scientists as they debate that Fischer could easily lose in the first round. As the election approaches, the gap between Zeman and Fischer is reduced and Zeman eventually takes the lead when both candidates duel in debate. On the election day, Zeman wins and qualifies for the second round but Fischer is surprisingly defeated by Schwarzenberg who becomes Zeman's rival. The second round becomes more aggressive when Schwarzenberg says that Czechoslovak president Edvard Beneš would be judged in The Hague for Expulsion of Germans from Czechoslovakia if it happened today. This statement angers Zeman who starts more aggressive campaign against Schwarzenberg while Václav Klaus then expresses his concerns towards Schwarzenberg. Zeman eventually beats Schwarzenberg on election day and becomes new president.