Právo: Political elites incapable of ruling strategically

Prague, Oct 30 (CTK) - Analyses show that Czech political elites are not capable of strategically governing, that is successfully pursuing long-term development goals, Antonin Rasek writes in Pravo yesterday.

Rasek writes that this was also reflected in a recent CVVM poll showed that 88 percent of Czechs are convinced that people enter politics for the sake of contacts, positions and posts while another motive is profit.

The effort to change the situation in the country for the better, to participate in the fulfilling of the party programme or to belong somewhere is a much less frequent motive, according to the poll.

Rasek says a view at the political scene corresponds to this. Defence Minister Alexandr Vondra is the sole of seven ministers from Prime Minister Petr Necas's Civic Democratic Party (ODS) who has remained in the government.

The ODS ministers who have had to leave the centre-right coalition government since it was formed in mid-2010 are Pavel Drobil (environment), Ivan Fuksa (agriculture), Martin Kocourek (industry and trade) and Jiri Pospisil (justice).

Vondra's image is still tarnished with the Promopro case in which the state lost 150 million crowns in connection with the EU presidency in 2009 when he was deputy prime minister for EU affairs and this may have also been a reason of his failure in the recent Senate election, Rasek writes.

He says one half of leading representatives of the government junior TOP 09 party have had to be replaced and the third original government party, Public Affairs (VV), split, Rasek writes.

One part of the VV, retaining the name, went into opposition, while another part formed the LIDEM party, now the third government member.

A majority of the ministers who had to leave the government were connected with big money, some have ended up at court, and this may also happen to others, Rasek writes.

He says the opposition Social Democrats have had problems on regional level as well, he adds.

The current political "elites" are satisfied with their role that is not demanding and where it suffices to only pretend being leaders, Rasek writes.

This is reflected in the results of governing. The state is not capable of effectively drawing European funds, to announced in time the level of taxes next year and to collect them, new registers of anything are introduced with serious problems, Rasek writes.

The state General Health Insurance Company (VZP) is falling into debts, the costly sCards, destined for receivers of various welfare benefits and the handicapped, may be reduced or even abolished, people are afraid of buying alcohol because it may contain the methanol killer, the planned pension reform may not be introduced over ODS internal opposition and the same applies to the return of property to churches, Rasek writes.

What results can Necas's government present after two years in power if it was incapable of strategic rule and if corruption decimates its ranks, too? Rasek asks.

He writes that it may be relying on that the ODS rebelling MPs will save it from a total debacle by deposing it.

($1=19.398 crowns)