Klaus knocks Necas

Václav Klaus's claim yesterday in Euro that Petr Nečas hasn't managed to jump-start ODS since taking over from Mirek Topolánek is perhaps the best evidence that Nečas is in fact making a difference. Topolánek's departure was a victory for Klaus, and it opened the door for him to regain control of the party. But it hasn't gone so well for him since then. Two of his favorites, Pavel Bém and Tomáš Chalupa, have seen their influence dwindle. Nečas, in contrast, is hitting his stride just as some of his party's chief election rivals are peaking early (ČSSD, TOP 09, VV). Speaking to the Council on Czech Competitiveness yesterday, Nečas demonstrated that he can captivate an audience by being well-prepared, polite and on-message. ODS needs more people like this. For a few moments, at least, those in attendance yesterday were lulled into forgetting about what ODS has been up to at Prague city hall. [Czech Republic magazine Věci veřejné American Chamber of Commerce]