Despite being tattooed on 90 per cent of his body, Vladimir Franz, running in a surprising third place in polls ahead of this week's Czech Republic presidential elections. Mr Franz, an opera composer and painter, seems the most unlikely of candidates for a prestigious post previously held by beloved playwright-dissident Vaclav Havel and Vaclav Klaus, a professor credited with plotting the economic transition from communism to a free market. But he's not short of admirers in a country where voters are increasingly tired of politicians they say are corrupt and failing to deliver on years of promises, more than two decades after the fall of communism. Mr Franz has no political experience and confesses to little knowledge of economics. He says he only threw his hat in the ring after a group of admirers established the Franz for President initiative and begged him to shake up the race through his shock factor. But he's stirred up such goodwill that a leading economist offered his services for free and his campaign workers are also volunteers. He's only spent $25000 from donations on his campaign and hasn't put up any posters. Mr Franz burst onto the political scene with an eye-catching 88000 signatures at the end of 2012 - far more than the 50000 required by law. Not affiliated with any party, he has campaigned mostly on a platform highlighting graft, the importance of education and the nation's moral standing. "The (political) system is so enchanted with itself that it's lost ...

• published: 09 Jan 2013
• views: 3626
• author: telegraphtv