Final Word from Tuesday, August 12, 2008
In the little world of Prague politics, a letter from Brussels about the "blob" is threatening to ruin the career of Director Vlastimil Ježek of the National Library. Prague Mayor Pavel Bém is holding up the letter as proof that Ježek botched the architectural contest for the new library. He's calling on Ježek to resign from his post and to drop out of the Prague 9 Senate race. We'll leave it to other analysts to pick apart the letter itself. From our vantage point, it's just an excuse for punishing Ježek for a much more serious transgression: Criticizing the well-greased system of corruption in Prague. Ježek told LN that Bém, Roman Janoušek and their city-council clan are against the blob, because they wouldn't get anything from it. They decide what is built in Prague, Ježek said, but the new library would be beyond their control. "And any breakdown in the system is seen as a threat to the system." Ježek himself is now the threat to the system that must be eliminated.[Czech Republic nine Lidové noviny ODS Jan Kaplický]
Glossary of difficult words
to botch - to carry out a task badly or carelessly;
to pick something apart - to criticize something or someone in detail;
vantage point - a place or position offering a good view of something;
transgression - offense, crime;
well-greased - well-oiled, lubricated, operating smoothly;
breakdown - a mechanical failure.