Grossed out

Chairman Miroslav Kalousek of KDU-ČSL has had enough of Stanislav Gross and his apartment scandal and, according to Právo, will call tomorrow for him to resign as premier. KDU apparently wants a Gross government without Gross. The only thing that should change, Právo said, is the prime minister. Finance Minister Bohuslav Sobotka has been mentioned as a possible replacement for Gross. This is both good news and bad for ODS. Sobotka wants to take ČSSD more to the center and is therefore a controversial figure within ČSSD. With his alleged soft spot for ČSOB, he'd also provide a fresh target for ODS. But, as Miloš Zeman noted in LN last week, it's in ODS's interest to enter the next elections with a weak Gross at the helm of ČSSD. If President Václav Klaus is really on ODS's side, as everyone claims, he'll want to keep Gross around for as long as possible. [Czech Republic political crisis Lidové noviny]