Spidla the survivor

"Don't count him out yet," is the advice many a Prague political pundit will give you as Vladimír Špidla's chances of survival seemingly grow slimmer and slimmer. "He's always found a way out of his tight spots," they'll tell you. This time, however, things look particularly difficult. All it takes is for Stanislav Gross to give the signal, and Špidla will be gone as ČSSD chair. But Gross, the pundits say, doesn't have much to gain by putting himself in the hotspot. He's already basically running things, without having to take all the flak. One political observer said Gross wouldn't last six months as the head honcho, because he couldn't handle the pressure. His excuses for driving too fast were particularly revealing. Others say Gross wouldn't stand up under the media scrutiny (just what is his wife's deal with Amway anyway?) that comes with being on top. chairman