Unemployment at KDU

Politics is politics, and when governments change, so do the bureaucrats who keep them going. KDU will lose some 200-300 cushy jobs when it pulls out of the coalition. On TV Nova and F1 radio this week, KDU-ČSL Chair Miroslav Kalousek tried to use this very natural political event to smear ČSSD. He suggested that the purge is a way for Stanislav Gross to meet the personnel demands of the Communists. Kalousek's attempt to distort a common political practice is an example of why he's known as a snake. (Before the no-confidence vote on Fri., ČSSD's MPs hissed at him.) Kalousek has taken a big gamble and is trying to put a happy face on it. He's forcing his people to give up their sinecures but can offer no guarantee that they'll get them back under ODS. Miloš Zeman, speaking in Euro, noted that ODS might prefer to go with ČSSD after the elections. [Czech Republic magazine Communist Party KSČM Parliament]