Final Word from Monday, October 22, 2012
The immediate winners in the Senate elections were the Social
Democrats (ČSSD) and, to a lesser extent, the Left in general, but
the long-term winner could be Jan Fischer. Voters dealt a
crippling blow to the Right (meaning mainly ODS) for refusing to
recant its thieving ways and also punished the Communists for
getting their hopes up too high. ČSSD won all but one of its
face-offs with the Communists but lost all its seven contests
against independent or non-parliamentary candidates. If Miloš
Zeman and Fischer make it into the second round of the
presidential elections, as polls predict, a similar scenario could
play itself out. Of course Zeman isn't technically the candidate of
ČSSD, just as he isn't officially the candidate of the criminal elite,
but those are his main bases of support. And if Fischer can sell
himself as the independent candidate, the outcome of the Senate
elections could speak in his favor.[Czech Republic KSČM SPOZ]
Glossary of difficult words
to deal (a blow) - to inflict (a blow);
to recant - to say that one no longer holds an opinion or belief; to renounce or repudiate;
to get one's hopes up - to become hopeful or optimistic;
face-off - a direct confrontation between two people or groups.