Corruption-buster

If Mirek Topolánek doesn't end up at the bottom of the Vltava in concrete shoes, he could make a real difference in battling institutionalized corruption. Not only did he echo ex-Mayor Jan Kasl in condemning the practices at Prague city hall, but he also openly spoke of how the political parties have been dividing up positions and pork at the ministries. Daring to stick his nose into the business of the big bosses is what broke ex-PM Vladimír Špidla's back, Topolánek said in HN. But he's not Špidla and won't give up so easily, he added. Is Czech politics truly ready for a corruption-buster, or is Topolánek just picking his battles wiser than Špidla? It's hard to imagine that Topolánek could win confirmation without making concessions. He did, after all, give KDU-ČSL the finance, development and defense ministries. But ODS itself has the chance to go into the next elections looking cleaner than ever before. [Czech Republic Hospodářskéí noviny Parliament]