Many don't like the idea that the longest-lasting and most visible support to democratic Czechoslovakia before World War II came from ethnic German social democrats who were part of the ruling government from 1926 to May 1938, Jiří Hanák writes in Právo July 13. Ethnic German social democrats were the most active in demonstrating their loyalty. Prior to Hitler's annexation of Czechoslovakia's border areas in 1938, they offered the services of their Republikanische Wehr (RW) military organization to the Prague government, an offer that was gratefully accepted. RW members stood guard on the border along with Czechoslovak soldiers and helped defeat the local Nazi coup in September 1938. After the war, Czech society repaid them in a disgraceful way. In Hostinné, local mayors decided in July 1946 to include 400 German anti-fascists in the expulsion transports. In April 1946, authorities in Děčín–Podmokly expelled German anti-fascists to provide "fairly decent housing." Prime Minister Jiří Paroubek is planning to make a gesture of appreciation toward these German anti-fascists. The important thing is to at last cover the 60-year-old debt. We're sorry they had to wait so long for these words. Decent people repay debts, Hanák writes.

Collect more money, spend more money, save less and get a 76 billion Kč loan: That's the motto of the proposed state budget for 2006, leaving no trace of Finance Minister Bohuslav Sobotka's enthusiasm for reforms, Jana Bendová writes in Mladá fronta Dnes July 14. Prime Minister Paroubek's strategy for his government and the Social Democratic Party (ČSSD) is that unpleasant reforms are unnecessary. Sick leave benefits will be higher instead of lower, there will be no cuts in social benefits, and thousands of unneeded civil servants will keep their jobs — and get a raise. The economy is strengthening but the government will make no use of this highly convenient moment to lower the national debt. It is responsible for the debt's rapid increase, and to ensure voters remember its generosity, it will spend billions gained from privatization. Experts warn that without a true reform of public expenses, the country could shift to the status of a deeply indebted country. The ČSSD is returning to the brief era when it was willing to admit the need for social and economic reforms, but this has been blown away by Paroubek's pragmatic wind, Bendová writes.