Kalousek ousts Svoboda

Foreign Minister Cyril Svoboda was unceremoniously dumped as KDU-ČSL chairman over the weekend. This has all kinds of implications for internal Christian Democratic politics, but for the outside world the main effects could be two. First, Svoboda is likely to turn his interests now toward becoming the CR's first European commissioner. This could mean modifying his stance on such controversial issues as the draft EU Constitution and the Middle East. Second, the election of Miroslav Kalousek to the chairmanship of KDU means that his party will move closer to ODS. Kalousek won't try to take KDU out of the ruling coalition, but he'll probably try to get a bigger piece of the privatization pie for himself and his ODS friends. Interior Minister Stanislav Gross and Finance Minister Bohuslav Sobotka are already battling each other over privatization booty. Kalousek will be able to teach them a thing or two. Iraq coal