ODS misses its chance

ODS Chairman Mirek Topolánek told F1 radio recently that his party will try to bring down the government this fall. Seconds later, he said the likelihood of achieving this is only 30%. And the probability that the Špidla cabinet will survive until the end of its term is 50%, he added. Earlier, when ODS still had a 40% approval rating (it's now closer to 30%), he ruled out the idea that ODS could sweep the next elections and create a majority one-party cabinet. In contrast to Topolánek's defeatism, Premier Vladimír Špidla and Deputy Premier Cyril Svoboda adamantly state that the cabinet will survive its full term. More and more political commentators - including, apparently, Topolánek - are beginning to believe them. Given Topolánek's inability to profit from the cabinet's current weakness, it's time to give thought to the possibility that ČSSD will win the next elections.