Postview: No one is above the law, even politicians

The parties that make up the government came to power promising to revitalize the economy and stamp out corruption. Of course, the two are linked. The body politic cannot deliver on the economic front if the cancer of corruption is not excised and trust in our institutions continues to erode.

Interior Minister Radek John faces allegations of corruption. He is innocent until proven guilty, but there is no doubt such allegations seriously undermine the government's credibility, and indeed its survival. It is difficult to envisage the government fully functioning with a key minister under investigation and distracted by the task of having to clear his name. At the very least, the allegations are an unwelcome hindrance, and it is not inconceivable that John's ministerial duties could be compromised.

But this issue is not just about one minister or one party or one contract. The government is not entirely persuasive when it talks about tackling corruption. It deserves credit for reducing the immunity of politicians to their term of office, instead of the current period of immunity that remains, incredibly, after they leave office. But the government's efforts do not go far enough. Simply put, no deputy or senator can be seen to be above the law, and there should be no immunity for any crime - period. National politicians cannot be separate from the people they represent, the voters. People have a right to be angry at the culture of corruption in society, and Czechs voted overwhelmingly for the coalition parties to tackle it. We have had the debates, we have had the promises, and we have had the campaigns. Can we please now have some action to match the fine words, to match the idealism of the voters who placed their trust in parties that vowed to combat corruption? If this is too much to ask in a democracy, then heaven help us all.