Topolanek on notice

The little spat Mirek Topolánek had last week with the unions will soon be forgotten, but it's another chink in the armor of the beleaguered Czech premier. Topolánek has a legitimate gripe with the unions and large employers about their handling of the effort to abolish the generous tax treatment of meal tickets. They are, to an extent, accomplices in lobbying to keep the benefit. This message, though, was completely overshadowed by Topolánek's rude behavior. Topolánek has already been put on warning by his party's candidates for regional governorships. According to MFD, they don't want him or his ministers campaigning for them in this fall's elections. By continuing to act as a lout and by stating that that's just the way he is, get used to it, he's digging his own grave. If it's true that factions within ODS are planning to overthrow him after the fall elections, he's merely making their job easier. At this rate, few people will be sorry to see him go. [Czech Republic MF Dnes prime minister Hospodářské noviny]