If Mirek Topolánek and Jiří Paroubek aimed to play a prank on Czechs they should not have forgot to mention one detail – that it was 1 April. Unfortunately, we know they meant what they said. And we also know that yesterday’s Topolánek’s bitter speech as well as Paroubek’s arrogant talk are the true face of Czech politics.
In the last 20 years, personal conflicts have become the main aspect in Czech politics – and other central European countries – they have become both the tool and the goal of political acting. The ability to start a conflict has become fundamental criteria to achieve success where no political ideals are necessary – what more, they could be a burden. The past ten days have showed that.
No speculations are needed whether Václav Klaus and Jiří Paroubek agreed to bring down the government. They think of politics as a personal conflict, which they live on. That is enough. They consider their enemy everyone on the Czech political scene who still believes in political ideals. That’s why it is not surprising they both have pointed their impolite statements at the Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg (for Klaus it was “Mr Schwarzenberg”, who dared to speak about the future NATO head without previously discussing it with the president, while Paroubek called the minister “totally unacceptable”). The foreign policy remains the last hub of political ideals that has maintained its face in the Czech Republic. Therefore, Paroubek and Klaus ale looking to destroy it.
