Toss the other joker too

If Jiří Paroubek is standing in the way of a reasonable political outcome on the side of ČSSD, the main culprit on the side of ODS is Prague Mayor Pavel Bém. Not only did he cast doubt in HN on Fri. on the chances of the ODS-KDU-Green coalition to win confirmation in Parliament, but he also crippled ODS's chances if early elections are needed. Speaking on Czech Radio last week, he reopened an old wound with Jan Kasl of SNK-ED and called Kasl an "ODS traitor." This could make a meaningful pre-election coalition of the various right-wing parties impossible if it comes to early elections. Bém's widely assumed goal is an ODS-ČSSD grand coalition. Euro magazine suggested that he has been providing inside ODS information directly to ČSSD Chair Jiří Paroubek. If this is true, it would make Bém the ODS traitor. ODS needs to defenestrate him, but the question is whether Mirek Topolánek has enough strength within his party to do so. [Czech Republic KDU-ČSL Green Party European Democrats]