Still Green, but more experienced

The Greens speak in their election campaign about making the CR attractive for business, but can the party make itself attractive for business? Can it separate itself from the image of a group of radicals who can't agree among themselves on much of anything? Chair Ondřej Liška faced a skeptical group of businesspeople at a talk yesterday with the Council on Czech Competitiveness. By the end, he was winning praise from several of them for presenting a alternative to the major parties. Four of the Greens' no-compromise demands for supporting the next cabinet are business-related - fighting corruption, consolidating the budget, adopting the euro and being pro-EU. Much will come down to whether voters decide to give the Greens a second chance. They failed to stand up to the big parties last time, but Liška insisted that they learned from their mistakes and will be a significant corrective force next time. [Czech Republic coalition European Union]