Short is chic

Tall people like to think that height is might, but the world is increasingly controlled by short people under about 1.7m (5'7"). In Russia, Vladimir Putin is building a small-man's dynasty by picking Dmitri Medvedev to succeed him. In France, the opposition accused 5-5 Nicolas Sarkozy of suffering from petit- homme syndrome. In the U.S., voters could end up choosing between two 170-ers, Hillary Clinton and John McCain, if their giant rivals stumble. In Poland, half of the diminutive Kaczynski duo remains a force to be reckoned with. In the CR, Health Spokesman Tomáš Cikrt (1.39m) gets taken for being above the real minister, Tomáš Julínek, who seems 3m in comparison. And if Czechs ever decide that average-size Václav Klaus isn't enough of a counterweight to 2m Mirek Topolánek, there are plenty of other little fellows - Bém, Paroubek, Škromach, Havel, etc. - eager to play an outsized role. [Czech Republic Pavel Jiří Zdeněk]