Tattooed Art Professor Turns Presidential Candidate

A Czech art professor and composer who is tattooed from head to toe is campaigning to be president.

Published

4 months ago

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World

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Europe, Seriously?

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Vladimir Franz

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Czech Republic

Transcript

This man could be the next president of the Czech Republic. Vladimir Franz - seen here in a campaign advert - is one of nine candidates bidding for the presidency. Franz is a professor at the Academy of Performance Art in Prague, a musician, and a self confessed punk. With 90 per cent of his body tattooed he may look unconventional, but that doesn't appear to be holding him back with the latest opinion polls suggesting his support is around 11 percent. The 53 year old says he has a simple life philosophy. (SOUNDBITE) (Czech) CANDIDATE FOR CZECH PRESIDENCY, VLADMIMIR FRANZ: "I trust in God even though I don't have mediators for it - I do not belong to any church, but I think that people should behave in a way that they wouldn't be ashamed if someone up there asks." Franz's students nominated him on Facebook as an alternative to well known politicians and the idea gained immediate support. This campaign team member says his supporters are enthusiastic and work on Franz's campaign out of idealism, not for money. Voting in the Czech presidential elections begins on Friday.