Final Word from Thursday, August 8, 2013
After the collapse yesterday of the old center-right coalition, the political parties are penning themselves into the same kind of corner with regard to early elections that they got themselves into with the law on a direct presidential ballot. Almost no party really wanted a popularly elected president, but they maneuvered around the issue for so long that they ended up with Miloš Zeman. Likewise, early elections would benefit almost no one. Bohuslav Sobotka of ČSSD would be the biggest loser, although his party as a whole would no doubt come to power sooner. Miroslav Kalousek would be stripped of his immunity and become easy prey for Zeman and his killer dogs, even if TOP 09 made inroads on the Right. SPOZ would likely make it into Parliament, as would perhaps KDU-ČSL, but the bigger winner would be ANO 2011. It is already creating buzz, with new recruits and a professional ad campaign. If Kalousek is currently the only politician who is at all a match for Zeman, early elections would hasten forth a second - Andrej Babiš. [Czech Republic parliamentary advertising]
Glossary of difficult words
to pen someone in - to trap or confine someone in an area from which escape is difficult;
prey - a person or thing that is easily injured or taken advantage of; an animal that is hunted and killed by another for food;
to make inroads - to make progress;
buzz - an atmosphere of excitement and activity;
match - a person or thing able to contend with another as an equal in quality or strength;
to hasten forth - to bring forward with quick speed or urgency.