Analysis - Gov't bickering set to continue

NEWS ANALYSIS

The government continues its free fall as all three members of the tripartite coalition are taking turns lobbing insults, challenges and explanations at one another, making the self-imposed June deadline for a successful reorganization looking increasingly less likely.

The biggest, if most inevitable, bomb dropped on the coalition was the announcement by former Interior Minister Radek John (Public Affairs, VV) that he was leaving his new anti-corruption czar post in Prime Minister Petr Nečas' Cabinet. After two weeks of constant speculation, John, citing a lack of a coherent job description and any real power, left the government completely, retaining only his role as VV chairman.

"I totally reject the prime minister's interference in the choice of my staff and my co-workers, and his doubting my choice, which he repeatedly did," John said in a statement after announcing his plans to resign. "I am convinced the Cabinet without further changes cannot with full credibility of the public represent and implement reforms."

John formally handed in his resignation to Nečas May 17.

VV has continued to threaten behind the scenes to leave the coalition, with some MPs preferring the party to pledge support for a minority government and others favoring toppling the government completely.

"VV may leave the government, but it won't be willing to have early elections because it wants to remain on the political scene," said Milan Znoj, a professor of political science at Charles University. "It can criticize the government and fight for some political points, but this process may take a long time."

But Karolína Peake, a VV deputy and chair of the party's MP club, told The Prague Post either decision would result in the eventual collapse of the government.

"Everyone seems to suggest [leaving and supporting the minority government] is the most elegant way for us to step out and just support whatever legislation there is," she said. "But it would not be a stable position for the party or the government. It might last a couple of months, but eventually it would result in either new elections or a grand coalition between the ODS and the Social Democrats [ČSSD]."

Political analyst Bohumil Doležal said the ODS should move quickly to sever its ties with VV or risk the consequences of being weakened by continued affiliation.

"If the ODS wants a bright political future, it should end the coalition with VV," he said. "There are political as well as moral reasons. It is not normal for a political party to stand by what VV is doing. This really can't work much longer, to have two bigger parties being blackmailed by a small party. They should all say: 'We are leaving [the government].' But this is something they just can't do. And VV is very much aware of this."

VV has remained firm that it wants its two vacated ministry posts returned, as the coalition agreement called for the party to control four ministries. After John resigned as interior minister and the party's informal leader, Vít Bárta, left his Transport Ministry post amid bribery accusations, the party was left only with the Education and Regional Development ministries. Peake's name has been floated as a possible candidate for justice minister, but John told journalists May 12 that VV's main goal was to regain control of the Interior Ministry.

While VV struggled to have its terms met by the rest of its coalition partners, the conversation on the sidelines degenerated further as Bárta was asked by the ODS and TOP 09 to explain comments leaked to the press in which he claimed during a secretly recorded VV meeting that President Václav Klaus does whatever Bárta tells him to do.

The tape also revealed comments where Bárta claimed to have talks scheduled with U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin about the Temelín nuclear power plant project. Bárta apologized and offered an explanation for the comments: He was drunk.

"The current political scene really resembles a farce with all these secret recordings and criminal complaints that parties are filing against each other," Znoj said. "There is some twisted logic to what they're doing."

- Filip Šenk contributed to this report.

Jack Buehrer can be reached at
jbuehrer@praguepost.com