Tension is growing in the Czech capital ahead of a speech by Obama in Prague Castle on Sunday (5 April). Many expect a decision to be announced, either to proceed with the controversial missile shield or to shelve it.
Thousands of opponents to the US radar base are preparing to march through Prague during Obama's visit, despite such protests having been banned by the city authorities for security reasons. The organisers of the 'Ne základnám' ('No radar base') protests had planned to march from Wenceslas Square via Mezibranská Street, Sokolská Street and Nusle Bridge to end up at Hrdinu Square.
The town hall proposed a different route to the protest's organisers, which they rejected.
Simultaneously, Czech associations wrote a letter to Obama asking him to take Czechs' opinions into consideration when deciding on plans to extend the US anti-missile shield to Central Europe. The letter says that some 70% of Czech citizens have for a long time been against the construction of the base on Czech soil.
However, Czech analysts told EurActiv that it is highly unlikely that Obama will make any announcements during his Prague visit. Tomáš Weiss from the Europeum think-tank said he saw at least two reasons why no such announcement should be expected.
Weiss said he does not believe that the new US administration has made up its mind yet on how to proceed with the anti-ballistic system in Poland and the Czech-based radar. Moreover, he said, there is no time pressure on the US side: it will still be several years, probably 2015, until Iran can produce nuclear weapons, leaving enough time to build the system before the threat materialises.
He also said that the ABM system in Central Europe was seen by the Obama administration as a bargaining chip in a much bigger context of their relations with Russia.
However, he still believes the project will eventually see the light. "I don't think the [US] administration will give up the project. Nobody really expects the Iranians to give up from their nuclear bomb," he said.
Weiss said he does not believe that any of the Czech hosts will raise the "radar issue" with their US guest. "I think Czech politicians understand pretty well what the situation is, that Washington has not decided yet," he said.
