Final Word from Tuesday, April 25, 2023

ČMKOS labor leader Josef Středula said yesterday after a visit with Petr Pavel at the Castle that he informed the president that he sees a great risk of the radicalization of society because of the cabinet's actions. Středula is just one of many people to point out the disproportionate impact of government measures and proposals on the working and lower classes, and these groups of society have already radicalized to a certain degree. Where there is little or no radicalization is in the upper classes. Covid and the energy crisis haven't affected high-income households much, and PM Petr Fiala is insisting that his government won't increase personal income tax. He's still defending the tax cut of 2021 and wants to look instead at sin taxes and VAT. Yet this won't bring him the revenue he needs. The longer he avoids raising taxes on the upper classes, the more he'll radicalize the unions. But if he gives in to the unions, he'll start losing his key voter base in the upper middle class. He's in a real bind. [ Czech Republic excise consumption Pres. ODS Ukraine ]