Czech Support For Shield Ticks Up As Vote Nears

The plan to expand missile defence to Europe also calls for a rocket base in Poland.

Support for building a U.S. missile defence radar in the Czech Republic ticked up in the last months but most Czechs are still against it ahead of a parliamentary vote on the plan, opinion polls showed on Tuesday.

The Czech centre-right government has agreed to allow the United States to build a radar that would track ballistic missiles fired from states such as Iran, but the deal still faces tough debate in parliament.

The plan to expand missile defence to Europe also calls for a rocket base in Poland. It has angered Russia which opposes any U.S. military presence in the central European countries that used to be part of the Soviet bloc.

It has deeply split the Czech political scene with many people wary of any foreign military presence that could expose the nation to a struggle among the superpowers.

A government-sponsored survey by the Factum Invenio Agency showed the number of supporters of the base rose to 38 percent from 28 percent a year ago, while the ranks of opposers shrank to 55 percent from 60 percent. The rest were undecided.

Another poll, conducted by the CVVM agency, also showed the support rose slightly, albeit to just 28 percent in September from 26 in June, while 67 percent were against, versus 66 in June.

The government plans to submit the plan to parliament after regional elections on Oct. 17-18, and expects a final vote by the end of the year.