However, not only did the preferences emerge as more green, but so did the faces of those representing the "traditional" Chamber parties after hearing the news.

The new setup would mean there would be only two possible majority coalitions in the Chamber: the grand coalition of the Social Democrats (ČSSD) and the Civic Democrats (ODS), which neither of these two parties seems excited about, and the coalition that comprises the ODS, the Christian Democrats and the Green Party, which would enjoy the most narrow majority of 101 seats and would probably become the most fragile coalition in the Czech Republic's history.

Program differences among these three political parties are so great that even today's 101-majority coalition, which has been on life support for months, looks like a granite block compared to this new coalition. Still, there are months to go before the general elections.

The Greens have seen growing support in two polls in a row. But it is also true that they remain a bit of a mystery. We don't hear much about them — hardly anything in fact.

Thus, I see their growing support as the result of citizens' disgust with the embarrassing and even vulgar disputes between the ČSSD and the ODS. Just like the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia, the Greens simply collect protest votes.

The ČSSD lost a few points, and even if Prime Minister Jiří Paroubek said his party would take the lead in the opinion polls in April or May, they should still pay attention to why they've lost points in the first place.

I wonder what's behind it: Health Minister David Rath, who seems unable to convince people about his vision for reform of the health-care system, ČSSD top brass speaking of post-election cooperation with the Communists, or perhaps Paroubek's self-praise, Hanák writes.

The "political horror" of Miloš Zeman (the former ČSSD chief and prime minister) has the ambitions of a bestseller, but offers nothing new, with the exception of the part that alleges his successor, Vladimír Špidla, once attempted suicide and was later blackmailed in connection with it, Jana Bendová writes in Mladá fronta Dnes Feb.17.

Zeman once again deals in his book with those who "betrayed" traditional ČSSD values. Then he reverts to words like "gossip" and "allegedly," but without evidence, in writing about Špidla's suicide attempt.

Zeman adopted a similar trick in his first book when using an indecent word in connection with Education Minister Petra Buzková, claiming that it had been used by the late singer Karel Kryl and Špidla. Zeman is not a very brave gossiper. His anti-Špidla sentiment, and perhaps also the effort to make the book more attractive, cause him to go beyond the bounds of decency in this chapter.

By the way, it was Zeman who accused journalists of working in a cesspool or printing manure for writing like this. Also, Zeman knows how much any such writing can hurt; he was very angry with journalists for reporting about his son's suicide attempt. A former government head should be able to find a more elegant and honorable way of dishonoring his rival, Bendová writes.