Spidla's defense
Which is better, a cabinet run by an honest premier who
lacks the leadership skills to get much done, or a
cabinet that moves things forward but takes a cut of the
action? Premier Vladimír Špidla has been
outmaneuvered so far by Interior Minister Stanislav
Gross and his band of brothers, who have been
"moving things forward" at ČSA, ČKA, ČEZ, etc. The
biggest threat to Špidla's future isn't Josef Hojdar (who
opposes budget reform) or Mirek Topolánek (who
wants to be premier), but rather Gross and his
brotherhood. To survive, Špidla will have to make it
clear who his enemies are. He's already showing some
resistance to them by adopting corruption as his main
theme. He has also been gathering secret files.
Topolánek told the Prague Post in June that Špidla
uses blackmail against those who oppose him. Things
might look bad for Špidla, but he isn't down going
without a fight. Česká konsolidační agentura
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