Dictator on a leash

ČSSD Chair Jiří Paroubek complained to the Council on Czech Competitiveness last month that the media accuse him of being a dictator but that he can't even convince his own party to fulfil the country's Nato commitment in Afghanistan. This comment neatly sidesteps the issue of whether Paroubek does in fact harbor dictatorial proclivities but suggests that his party might be able to rein them in if he does. After Paroubek told the European Banking & Financial Forum in March that greater regulatory efforts are needed for bringing bank fees down to usual European levels, Bohuslav Sobotka of ČSSD said that the objective is to improve consumer protection, not regulate fees. When Paroubek announced a boycott of five media outlets yesterday, some of his party colleagues immediately broke it. Voters will have to take on trust that such corrective measures will continue after the elections. [Czech Republic MF Dnes MFD LN Lidové noviny HN Hospodářské noviny Respekt Reflex American Chamber of Commerce AmCham]