MfD: ODS rebels motivated by personal grudge

Prague, Sept 6 (CTK) - The sense of the rebellion within the Czech Civic Democratic Party (ODS) is obvious: only to use it for the rebels' objectives and positions and to give a vent to their own anger, Karel Steigerwald writes in Mlada fronta Dnes (MfD) yesterday.

Those believing that the rebellion against the government-proposed increase in VAT was motivated by any care for state finances are wrong, Steigerwald writes.

Those believing that there is any correct proposal of tax changes that can resolve the problem of the state debt without any pain are wrong, too, he adds.

If any, leftist or rightist, government ruled now and wanted to curb the national debt, it would have to take more or less the same steps as Prime Minister Petr Necas's government, Steigerwald writes.

All politicians know this pretty well. However, Necas is the one who is bearing the burden, while the rest can enjoy his trouble, he adds.

This is the sense of the rebellion, Steigerwald writes.

The state coffers are not the issue, what matters is the popularity, fame, future of politicians, he adds.

As soon as the Public Affairs (VV) fell out of the government, it adopted radical stands against the same government in which it was still this winter, Steigerwald writes.

Most ODS politicians who are against the government proposal are connected with some conflict in the party. These are former ministers, former chairmen, simply "the former ones," he adds.

They have stood up against the government suddenly, probably out of personal grudge, believing that this will pay in the long run and they do not advocate any stable view, Steigerwald writes.

However, they are wrong, the rebellions of lone shooters have never been profitable in the long run, he adds.

In the party system, loners disappear, Steigerwald writes.

Perhaps the opposition in the ODS will eventually topple the government. Is one percent of VAT worth the effort? he asks.

Does Petr Tluchor, former head of the ODS deputies, know what will follow? Steigerwald writes.

Does he know how a new government will further acrrue debts that or will redraft the austerity package to look different will be formed? he adds.

Is Tluchor' rebellion based on the information that a government headed by Social Democrat leader Bohuslav Sobotka with the Communist support has a better recipe with which to reduce the state debt? Steigerwald writes.

Will Tluchor himself support such a recipe? he goes on to ask.

The principle of no rise in taxes and a minimum state may sound good, but real politics cannot sound so good as it is a matter of compromises that cannot sound good, Steigerwald writes.

The government austerity package is certainly such a compromise that does not sound good, but does anyone has anything better? he adds.

If yes, let it be passed to Necas for use. But at first, it must be shown whether it is politically feasible, Steigerwald writes.

The government has fallen twice in the Czech Republic and in neither case the rebels knew what will follow, he adds.

As they did not have a semblance of a plan, an awkward interregnum followed, wrongly called a caretaker government, Steigerwald writes.

One might have expected the rebels to resolutely seize the rule and to come up with their plans and ideals after the victorious fall of the adversary, he adds.

However, nothing of this kind happened, Steigerwald writes.

If the Necas government falls, the same will happen. None of the rebels has presented any alternative to the government and none represents any political force that would be able to implement it, he adds.

The public will see that VAT will not be increased by one percent, but it will also see a time of new confusion and procrastination, Steigerwald writes.

The damage will not bring about any purification, but a deeper loss than that caused by an increased VAT, he adds.

Rather than a sudden quake, it is always better to let the governments complete their terms of office and only change them after the elections, Steigerwald writes.