Where the right went wrong

ODS Chair Mirek Topolánek told Czech TV that not even analysts are able to analyze the reasons yet for his party's election defeat. It's actually not that difficult. On the one hand, ČSSD motivated socially conscious voters to protest against reforms that were undertaken without broad political consensus and that, in some cases, were merely a cover-up for pilfering from the state coffers. On the other hand, ODS lost the support of opinion leaders who were fed up with dirty deals that benefit politicians and their buddies and that are crippling society and the business environment. ODS was squeezed from both the bottom and the top. Topolánek declared that the wake-up call came at just the right time, but it doesn't take a deep analysis to predict what comes next. Instead of introspection and contrition comes an even greater haste by politicians to get what they can while the getting is good. Topolánek's only hope might be to deliver the cleaning of the Augean stables he promised about six weeks ago. [Czech Republic KDU-ČSL Greens coalition Television Václav Moravec]