Prague, Nov 30 (CTK) – The idea of the Czech Social Democrats (CSSD) seeking together with TOP 09, Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL) and Civic Democrats (ODS) Milos Zeman´s presidential counter-candidate which new TOP 09 head Miroslav Kalousek has tabled is unfeasible, Lukas Jelinek writes in Pravo yesterday.
He writes that few Czech politicians are capable of combining various things and putting their foot in the door like Kalousek, and mentions his negotiations for a minority government with the CSSD tolerated by the Communists (KSCM) after the 2006 general election when he was still KDU-CSL chairman.
Now, Kalousek is eying the CSSD as an ally in relation to foreign policy and the president and against the first deputy prime minister and finance minister and chairman of the ANO movement, Andrej Babis, Jelinek writes.
The CSSD will definitely praise having TOP 09 as an ally in its pro-European policy and it also welcomes its moderate attitude to the migrant crisis, Jelinek writes.
However, in relation to Zeman, the situation is different. The CSSD may be angry with Zeman now, but this does not mean that it will accept anyone in the future, Jelinek writes.
The leftist voters, most of whom still back Zeman, former CSSD member and chairman, would accept only a distinct authority from this part of the political spectrum, but this does not mean that TOP 09 would not support a CSSD nominee in the 2018 direct presidential election if any is found, Jelinek writes.
Gathering forces against Babis would have to be based on more than his reputation or behaviour as an oligarch interconnecting economic, political and medial powers, Jelinek writes.
He writes that as long as he is not alone in his own one-colour government, he is but a latent danger for parliamentary democracy.
If he won the general election and aimed at revising the democratic system, cooperation of the mainstream parties would be legitimate. Any other partnership between the CSSD and TOP 09 would have to be based on the latter´s willingness to accept the interests and programme priorities of the substantially stronger Social Democrats, Jelinek writes.
Anyway, Kalousek´s effort deserves recognition even if it had been much better if the tragic performance of the right had not vacated scope for Babis at all, Jelinek writes.
By its own fault, the right is weak now and this may be also the reason for Kalousek´s flexibility. In cooperation with the opposition rightist ODS, it will not participate in government for a long time.
Whether TOP 09 is developing or even changing, it is to be seen in its everyday work in parliament. For the time being, it is only showing exaggerated obstruction over sales electronic registration that is Babis´s showcase, but also a priority of the Social Democrats, Jelinek writes.
