Final Word from Wednesday, August 31, 2022
The drastic covid restrictions now being criticized by Health Min. Vlastimil Válek demonstrated what a scared population was willing to accept and what a self-interested elite was willing to support. Hardly anyone complained when the government went so far as to ban contact between family members - or anyone else - that was "non-essential." Likewise, hardly anyone noticed when Justice Min. Pavel Blažek repeated one of his messages from Parliament on Fri. and informed Czech Radio that he is prepared if necessary to take measures that are on the very edge of the law to combat high energy prices: "If I fear revolution, that means violence, a complete change to the political system and the rise of a dictator, I am obliged to do whatever is the lesser evil." He indicated that he is prepared - like under covid - to risk violating human rights because it would take the courts some time to react. The scared population will likely support him; part of the elite will not be so willing this time. [ Czech Republic Radiožurnál ODS TOP 09 covid-19 ]
Glossary of difficult words
Note: We have edited the above text to account for a mistake in Czech Radio's transcription. Instead of speaking of "the total darkness of the political system," Blažek spoke of "a complete change to the political system" ("změna" instead of "tma").
obliged - legally or morally bound to do something.