Backlash against Bem
2006-10-25
The media favor ODS, but the tide is turning against Prague
Mayor Pavel Bém. Before the elections, Jiří Hanák of Právo
praised Bém and wondered why he isn't playing first fiddle in
ODS. A week later, Hanák was more cautious after Bém spoke of
the late-90s financial scandal that brought down Klaus as
"accounting irregularities." Yesterday, Erik Tabery of Respekt
said in LN that Bém is mainly interested in a political deal. Today
in LN, Daniel Kaiser compared Bém to Stanislav Gross, and HN
said Bém spent much more on the Prague elections than he
admits. Bém glided to a huge victory, but a comparison with the
parliamentary results indicates voters were mainly attracted by
Mirek Topolánek's ODS, not Bém's. Topolánek has given ODS a
new lease on life; Bém is a throwback to the "irregularities" of
the 1990s and risks destroying all that Topolánek has achieved.
[Czech Republic Lidové noviny Hospodářské noviny Václav Klaus]
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