Gross gets his knuckles rapped

Interior Minister Stanislav Gross used to get away with almost anything but is now getting into trouble for almost everything. President Václav Klaus singled him out for staging occasional police crackdowns instead of patrolling the streets consistently. MFD nailed him indirectly for allowing cops to run red lights and drive drunk. When one drunk ex-copper, Miroslav Antl, failed to pick up a court summons, his friendship with Gross got special mention. Gross also got stung when he tried to replace Agriculture Minister Jaroslav Palas with KDU-ČSL Chair Miroslav Kalousek. Gross was forced to stand up for Palas, which made it seem that he approved of the economic hanky-panky at Palas' ministry. As long as Gross kept his head down, he was a wonder boy. Ever since he declared that he was ready last summer to become premier, he keeps getting his hand slapped.